And all the people were gathered as one man into the broad place before the water gate, and they told Esdras the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moyses, which the Lord commanded Israel.
And Esdras the priest brought the law before the assembly, from man even to woman, and everyone with understanding to hear, on the first day of the seventh month.
And he read in it from the hour when the sun gave light until half the day, in front of the men and the women, and they were understanding; and the ears of all the people were toward the book of the law.
And Esdras the scribe stood on a wooden platform, and next to him stood Mattathias and Samaias and Ananias and Ouria and Elkia and Maasaia on his right, and on his left Phadaias and Misael and Melchias and Osam and Asabdana and Zacharias and Mosollam.
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 did obeisance to the Lord with their faces to the ground.
And they read in the book of the law of God, and Esdras taught and explained distinctly with the knowledge of the Lord, and the people understood in the reading.
And Neemias and Esdras the priest and scribe and the Levites who were making the people understand spoke, and they said to all the people, “The day is holy to the Lord our God; do not mourn and do not weep” — for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
And he said to them, “Go, eat rich things and drink sweet things, and send portions to those who have nothing, for the day is holy to our Lord. And do not be downcast, for he is your strength.”
And all the people went away to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they understood in the words which he had made known to them.
And on the second day the heads of the ancestral houses of all the people, the priests and the Levites, were gathered to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law.
and that they should give the signal with trumpets in all their cities and in Jerusalem. And Esdras said, “Go out to the mountain and bring leaves of olive and leaves of cypress trees and leaves of myrtle and leaves of palms and leaves of a leafy tree, to make booths according to what is written.”
And the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each man on his roof and in their courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God and in the broad places of the city and as far as the gate of Ephraim.
And all the assembly, those who had returned from the captivity, made booths and sat in booths; for the sons of Israel had not done so from the days of Iesous son of Naue until that day. And there was great rejoicing.
And he read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day until the last day; and they kept a feast seven days, and on the eighth day a closing assembly, according to the ordinance.