Chapter 8

¹ And the seventh month arrived, and the children of Isræl were settled in their cities; and all the people were gathered as one man to the broad place before the water-gate, and they told Esdras the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord commanded Isræl. ² So Esdras the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and every one who had understanding was present to hearken, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ And he read in it from the time of sun-rise to the middle of the day, before the men and the women; and they ¹understood it, and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. ⁴ And Esdras the scribe stood on a wooden stage, and there stood next to him Mattathias, and Samæas, and Ananias, and Urias, and Chelcia, and Massia, on his right hand; and on his left Phadæas, and Misael, and Melchias, and Asom, and Asabadma, and Zacharias, and Mesollam. ⁵ And Esdras opened the book before all the people, for he was above the people; and it came to pass when he had opened it, that all the people stood. ⁶ And Esdras blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, and said, Amen, lifting up their hands: and they bowed down and worshipped the Lord ²with their face to the ground. ⁷ And Jesus and Banaias and Sarabias instructed the people in the law, and the people stood in their place. ⁸ And they read in the book of the law of God, and Esdras taught, and instructed them distinctly in the knowledge of the Lord, and the people understood the law in the reading.

⁹ And Neemias, and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites, and they that instructed the people, spoke and said to all the people, It is a holy day to the Lord our God; do not mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ And the governor said to them, Go, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them that have nothing; for the day is holy to our Lord: and faint not, for the Lord is our strength. ¹¹ And the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for it is a holy day, and despond not. ¹² So all the people departed to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, for they understood the words which he made known to them.

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¹³ And on the second day the heads of families assembled with all the people, also the priests and Levites, to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law. ¹⁴ And they found written in the law which the Lord commanded Moses, that the children of Isræl should dwell in booths, in the feast in the seventh month: ¹⁵ and that they should ³sound with trumpets in all their cities, and in Jerusalem. And Esdras said, Go forth to the mountain, and bring ⁴branches of olive, and branches of cypress trees, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of every thick tree, to make booths, according to that which was written. ¹⁶ And the people went forth, and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each one upon his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the streets of the city, and as far as the gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷ And all the congregation who had returned from the captivity, made booths, and dwelt in booths: for the children of Isræl had not done so from the days of Jesus the son of Naue until that day: and there was great joy.

¹⁸ And Esdras read in the book of the law of God daily, from the first day even to the last day: and they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.