Ezra Reads the Book of the Law of the Lord God to All the People |
Nehemiah 8:1-18 The Book of Nehemiah in [Smaller Chunks] |
And all the people gathered themselves together [united like] one man, in the street before the Water Gate. They [spoke] to Ezra, the scribe [& also is a priest,] to bring the Book of the Law of Moses [that] the Lord had commanded to Israel. |
Upon the 1st day of the 7th month, Ezra, the priest, brought the Law before the congregation of both men, women & all those [who] could understand & all the ears of the people were attentive to the Book of the Law, [as Ezra] read [there in front of the] street that was before the Water Gate from morning until [noon.] |
And Ezra stood upon a wood pulpit, made for [this] purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah & Maaseiah stood beside [Ezra] on his right. On his left, [stood] Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah & Meshullam. |
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people. ([Since] he was [higher than] all the people;) they stood up when he opened it. Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, [while] lifting their hands. They bowed their heads & worshiped the Lord, [facing] the ground. |
And the Levites: Jeshua, [a.k.a. Joshua,] Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah & the Levites [helped] the people understand the Law, [as] the people stood in their place. |
So, they read the Book of the Law of God distinctly [to] make sense [of it & they helped] them understand [what was read.] And Nehemiah, [the governor,] Ezra, the priest & scribe, the Levites [who] taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord, your God. [Don’t] mourn, nor weep. |
For all the people [had] wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then, He said to them, Go [on] your way & eat the fat & drink the sweet & send portions [of food, to those] for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither [shall] you be sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. |
So, the Levites [quieted] all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither [shall] you be grieved. And all the people went their way, to eat, drink, to send portions & to make great [joy,] because they understood the words that were declared to them. |
On the 2nd day the [leaders of the forefather’s families] of all the people, the priests & the Levites gathered to Ezra, the scribe, to understand the words of the Law. |
In the written Law [that] the Lord had commanded Moses, they found that the children [people] of Israel should dwell in booths [wooden huts,] in the feast of the 7th month. |
And that they should [publicize it & declare] it in all their cities & in Jerusalem, saying, Go [out] to the [mountain] & [get] olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches & branches of [big] trees, to make booths, [like] it is written. |
So, the people went [out] & brought them & made themselves booths, everyone upon the [top] of his roof of his house & in their [courtyards & the courtyards] of [God’s] house & in the street of the Water Gate & in the street of the Gate of Ephraim. |
And all the congregation of [those who had returned] again out of captivity, made booths & sat under the booths. For since the days of Jeshua [a.k.a. Joshua,] the son of Nun, [until] this day, the children [people] of Israel hadn’t done [this.] |
Also, day by day, from the first day [until] the last day, [Ezra] read the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast [for] 7 days. And on the 8th day, [there] was a solemn assembly according to the manner [prescribed.] |