Ezra Reads the Law

Nehemiah 8

¹ And all the people gathered as one man into the square before _t the Water Gate. And they told _u Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. ² So Ezra the priest _v brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, _w on the first day of the seventh month. ³ _x And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴ And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. ⁶ And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, _y "Amen, Amen," _z lifting up their hands. _a And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ⁷ _b Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, _{1 c} helped the people to understand the Law, _d while the people remained in their places. ⁸ They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, ₂ and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

1. Cross References
   Nehemiah 3:26
   And the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
   
2. Cross References
   Ezra 7:6
   This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
   
3. Cross References
   Deuteronomy 31:11
   When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
   
4. Cross References
   Leviticus 23:24
   Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
   
5. Cross References
   Nehemiah 13:1
   On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God.
   
6. Cross References
   Nehemiah 5:13
   I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
   
7. Cross References
   Psalms 134:2
   Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!
   Lamentations 3:41
   Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
   1 Timothy 2:8
   I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.
   
8. Cross References
   2 Chronicles 20:18
   Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
   
9. Cross References
   Nehemiah 9:4
   On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
   
10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:3
    And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, "Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.
    
11. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:3
    And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.