(KJV) Nehemiah 8¹

⥃Ezra Reads the Law ^{[ Deuteronomy 31:9–13 ]}

[1] And all the people² gathered themselves together as one man³ into the street that [was] before⁴ the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra⁵ the scribe to bring⁶ the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.⁷ [2] And Ezra the priest⁸ brought the law before the congregation⁹ both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding¹⁰, upon the first¹¹ day of the seventh month. [3] And he read¹² therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning¹³ until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears¹⁴ of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law. [4] And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit¹⁵ of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah¹⁶, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah¹⁷, and Hashum¹⁸, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, [and] Meshullam¹⁹. [5] And Ezra opened²⁰ the book in the sight²¹ of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up²²: [6] And Ezra blessed²³ the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen²⁴, Amen, with lifting²⁵ up their hands: and they bowed²⁶ their heads, and worshipped the Lord with [their] faces²⁷ to the ground. [7] Also Jeshua²⁸, and Bani²⁹, and Sherebiah³⁰, Jamin, Akkub³¹, Shabbethai, Hodijah³², Maaseiah³³, Kelita³⁴, Azariah³⁵, Jozabad³⁶, Hanan³⁷, Pelaiah³⁸, and the Levites, caused³⁹ the people to understand the law: and the people [stood] in their place. [8] So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense⁴⁰, and caused [them] to understand the reading.

[9] And Nehemiah⁴¹, which [is] the Tirshatha⁴², and Ezra⁴³ the priest the scribe, and the Levites⁴⁴ that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day⁴⁵ [is] holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not⁴⁶, nor weep. For all the people⁴⁷ wept, when they heard the words of the law. [10] Then he said unto them, Go your way⁴⁸, eat⁴⁹ the fat, and drink the sweet, and send⁵⁰ portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy⁵¹ of the Lord is your strength. [11] So the Levites stilled⁵² all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day [is] holy; neither be ye grieved. [12] And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send⁵³ portions, and to make⁵⁴ great mirth, because⁵⁵ they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

⥃The Feast of Tabernacles ^{[ Leviticus 23:33–44 † Zechariah 14:16–21 ]}

[13] And on the second⁵⁶ day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law⁵⁷. [14] And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by⁵⁸ Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell⁵⁹ in booths⁶⁰ in the feast⁶¹ of the seventh month: [15] And that⁶² they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem⁶³, saying, Go forth unto the mount⁶⁴, and fetch⁶⁵ olive⁶⁶ branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm⁶⁷ branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as [it is] written.

[16] [¶]So the people went forth, and brought [them], and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof⁶⁸ of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts⁶⁹ of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate⁷⁰, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim⁷¹. [17] And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under⁷² the booths: for since the days of Jeshua⁷³ the son of Nun unto that day had not⁷⁴ the children of Israel done so⁷⁵. And there was⁷⁶ very great gladness. [18] Also day by day⁷⁷, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day [was] a solemn assembly⁷⁸, according⁷⁹ unto the manner.