Ezra Reads the Law (Deuteronomy 31:9–13)
1 ULT And all the people gathered as one man to the open area that is before the face of the gate of water. And they said to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded Israel. BSB BSB: At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2 ULT And Ezra the priest brought the law before the face of the assembly of both men and women and all who were understanding to hear, on day one of the seventh month. BSB BSB: On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
3 ULT And he read it aloud before the face of the open area that is before the face of the gate of water, from the light until the middle of the day, in front of the men and the women, and the ones who were understanding. And the ears of all the people listened to the book of the law. BSB BSB: So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 ULT And Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood: Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and from his left, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malkijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. BSB BSB: Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 ULT And Ezra opened the book before the eyes of all the people, for he was higher than all the people. And as soon as he opened it, all the people stood. BSB BSB: Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 ULT And Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God. And all the people answered,“Amen! Amen!” with their hands uplifted. And they knelt and prostrated themselves to Yahweh, nostrils to the ground. BSB BSB: Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 ULT And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites were causing the people to understand the law. And the people were in their place. BSB BSB: The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.
9 ULT And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra, the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who were causing the people to understand, said to all the people:“Today is holy; it belongs to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn and do not weep.” For all the people were weeping after they heard the words of the law. BSB BSB: Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
10 ULT And he said to them,“Go, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy, belonging to our Lord. And do not grieve, for, the joy of Yahweh, it is your strength.” BSB BSB: Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 ULT And the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying,“Hush, for today is holy. And do not grieve.” BSB BSB: And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”
12 ULT And all the people went to eat and to drink and to send away portions and to make a great rejoicing, for they understood the words that had been made known to them. BSB BSB: Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33–44; Zechariah 14:16–21)
13 ULT And on the second day, the heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law. BSB BSB: On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.
14 ULT And they found written in the law that Yahweh commanded by the hand of Moses: that the sons of Israel should live in huts during the feast in the seventh month; BSB BSB: And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,
15 ULT and that they should cause others to hear and cause a sound to pass throughout all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying,“Go out to the mountain, and bring branches of olive, and branches of oil trees, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palms, and branches of leafy trees, to make huts, as it is written.” BSB BSB: and that they should proclaim this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 ULT And the people went out and brought and made huts for themselves, a man on his roof, and in their courtyards, and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the open area of the gate of water, and in the open area of the gate of Ephraim. BSB BSB: And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.
17 ULT And all the assembly, the ones who returned from the captivity, made huts, and they dwelt in the huts. For the sons of Israel had not done thus from the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day. And there was extremely great rejoicing. BSB BSB: The whole assembly that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.
18 ULT And he read aloud from the book of the law of God, day by day, from the first day to the last day. And they made a seven- days feast, and on the eighth day an assembly, according to the ordinance. BSB BSB: Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.
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