Nehemiah 8

1 At that time [in the seventh month] all the people [as one man, united] gathered together [assembled, came together] in the square [broad place, open area] before the Water Gate [entrance to the city], and they asked [spoke to, requested] Ezra the scribe [priest, recorder of the law] to bring out [to produce, to read] the Book of the Law [scroll, written document] of Moses [the leader, prophet], which [that, namely] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had commanded [given orders, instructed] for [to, on behalf of] Israel [the chosen people, descendants of Jacob]. word study 2 On the first [initial, beginning] day of the seventh [ordinal number, specifically the seventh month] month, Ezra [the priest and scribe] the priest [one who serves God and leads others in worship] brought [presented, gave] the Law [instruction, Torah, guiding principles] before the assembly [gathering, congregation] of men [male persons, individuals] and women [female persons, wives] and all [every, everything] who could listen [hear and obey] and understand [discern, comprehend, having mental grasp]. word study 3 So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak [at early morning, from the light] until noon [midday, the middle of the day] as he faced [stood before, in the presence of] the square [broad place, public area] before the Water Gate [the gate of the water source], in front of the men [male individuals] and women [female persons] and those who could understand [discern, have insight]. And all [the entire assembly] the people listened attentively [with careful hearing, giving their full attention] to the Book of the Law [the scroll of instruction, the Torah]. word study 4 Ezra [recorder of God’s words] the scribe stood on a high wooden [tower, elevated stage] platform [pulpit, for the purpose of teaching] 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 [considerate judge], Zechariah [Jehovah remembers], and Meshullam. word study 5 Ezra [the priest and scribe] opened the book [scroll, written document] in full view of all [every single one] the people, since he was standing [in a position of authority] above them all [the entire crowd], and as he opened it [to reveal its contents], all [every single one] the people stood up [in reverence and respect]. word study 6 Then Ezra [the priest and scribe] blessed [praised and honored] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the great [mighty and powerful] God, and with their hands uplifted [lifting up their hands in worship], all the people said, “Amen [so be it, truly], Amen [faithfully, surely]!” Then they bowed down [shriveling up or bending in deference] and worshiped [showed reverence and adoration] the LORD with their faces [countenances, expressing emotion] to the ground [the earth, the land]. word study 7 The Levites [descendants of Levi, the priestly tribe]—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah [caused the people to understand, making the law clear]—instructed the people in the Law [Torah, the divine instruction] as they stood [remained standing, in their place] in their places [positions, stations]. word study 8 So they read [distinctly, clearly] from the Book [scroll] of the Law [instruction, Torah] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], explaining [giving the sense, interpreting] it and giving [causing to understand, imparting] insight [understanding, discernment], so that the people [assembly, convocation] could understand [discern, comprehend] what was being read [declared, proclaimed]. word study 9 Nehemiah [the Tirshatha, governor] the governor, Ezra [a spiritual leader] the priest and scribe, and the Levites [teaching them God’s law] who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day [a time of celebration and remembrance] is holy [set apart, sacred] to the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God] your God. Do not mourn [lament, grieve] or weep [cry, shed tears].” For all the people were weeping [crying, sorrowful] as they heard the words [instructions, teachings] of the Law [Torah, God’s instruction]. word study 10 Then Nehemiah told them, “Go [and walk, proceed] and eat what is rich [fat, luxurious], drink what is sweet [delicious, pleasant], and send out portions [shares, gifts] to those who have nothing prepared [no food, are in need], since today [this day, the present time] is holy [set apart, sacred] to our Lord [Adonai, our Master]. Do not grieve [be sad, mourn], for the joy [happiness, gladness] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] is your strength [security, refuge].” word study 11 And the Levites [stilled, quieted] calmed all [every, the entire] the people, saying, “Be still [hold your peace, do not cry], since today [this day, the present time] is holy [set apart, sacred]. Do not [refrain from] grieve [be hurt, worried].” word study 12 Then all [every single one, the entire nation] the people [Amaw, a people or nation] began to eat [to devour, to feast] and drink [to imbibe, to celebrate], to send out [to share, to distribute] portions [a part or share of something], and to rejoice [to be glad, to make merry] greatly [with exceeding joy, in a grand manner], because they understood [to discern, to know with the mind] the words [the message, the teachings] that had been made known [revealed, explained] to them. word study 13 On the second [following] day of the month, the heads [chiefs, leaders] of all the families, along with the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and Levites [descendants of Levi, assistants to the priests], gathered [assembled, came together] around Ezra the scribe [secretary, recorder] to study [give attention to, understand] the words [commands, teachings] of the Law [instruction, guidance, Torah]. word study 14 And they found [discovered, came across] written [recorded, inscribed] in the Law [instruction, Torah], which the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had commanded [given orders, appointed] through Moses [the Israelite leader], that the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] were to dwell [live, reside] in booths [temporary shelters] during the feast [festival, celebration] of the seventh [a time of harvest] month. word study 15 So they proclaimed [declared, made known] this message and spread [published, disseminated] it throughout their towns [cities, communities] and in Jerusalem [the city of peace], saying, “Go out [come forth, depart] to the hill country [mountain, hill] and bring back [fetch, gather] branches of olive [olive tree], wild olive [oleaster, a type of olive tree], myrtle [a fragrant, flowering tree], palm [date palm], and other leafy trees [trees with dense foliage, thick trees], to make [construct, build] booths [temporary shelters, tabernacles], as it is written [recorded, inscribed].” word study 16 And the people [a nation, community] went out, brought back branches, and made [constructed, prepared] booths [small, temporary shelters] on their own rooftops [the top of their houses], in their courtyards [private, open areas], in the court [open space, plaza] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme Being], and in the squares [public, open areas, plazas] by the Water Gate [entrance to the city, near the water source] and by the Gate [entrance, doorway] of Ephraim [doubly fruitful, a tribe of Israel]. word study 17 The whole [entire, complete] assembly [congregation, gathering] who had returned [come back, turned back] from exile [captivity, bondage] made [constructed, built] booths [shelters, tents] and lived [dwelt, resided] in them [the booths, these shelters]. From the days [time, period] of Joshua [Jeshua] son of Nun [father of Joshua] until that day [this time, this occasion], the Israelites [children of Israel, God’s people] had not celebrated [observed, kept] like this [in this way, with such joy]. And there was [existed, came to be] great [very great, exceedingly] rejoicing [gladness, joy]. word study 18 Day after day, from the first [primary, initial] day to the last [final, concluding], Ezra read [called out, proclaimed] from the Book [scroll, written document] of the Law [instruction, Torah] of God [Elohim, the supreme God]. The Israelites kept the feast [festival, celebration] for seven [a week, a complete cycle] days, and on the eighth [following, subsequent] day they held an assembly [solemn gathering, sacred meeting], according to the ordinance [justice, God’s righteous judgment]. word study