1
All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Torah of Mosheh, which Yahuah had commanded to Yisra’el.
2
Ezra the kohen brought the Torah before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
3
He read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the scroll of the Torah.
4
Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriyah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malkiyah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zekharyahu, and Meshullam.
5
Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6
and Ezra blessed Yahuah, the great Elohim. All the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahuah with their faces to the ground.
7
Also Yahushua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Yamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Yozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Leviyim, caused the people to understand the Torah: and the people stayed in their place.
8
They read in the book, in the Torah of Elohim, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
9
Nechemyah, who was the governor, and Ezra the kohen the scribe, and the Leviyim who taught the people, said to all the people, "This day is set-apart to Yahuah your Elohim. Do not mourn, nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Torah.
10
Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is set-apart to our Yahuah. Do not be grieved; for the joy of Yahuah is your strength."
11
So the Leviyim stilled all the people, saying, "Hold your peace, for the day is set-apart; neither be grieved."
12
All the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13
On the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' households of all the people, the kohenim, and the Leviyim, to Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the Torah.
14
They found written in the Torah, how that Yahuah had commanded by Mosheh, that the children of Yisra’el should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
15
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Yerushalayim, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written."
16
So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves booths, everyone on the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the House of Elohim, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Efrayim.
17
All the assembly of those who had come again out of the captivity made booths, and lived in the booths; for since the days of Yahushua the son of Nun to that day the children of Yisra’el had not done so. There was very great gladness.
18
Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the scroll of the Torah of Elohim. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.