Nehemiah 8 · נחמיה

then all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the open place that was before the water gate; and they spoke to ῾Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Tora of Moshe, which the Lord had commanded to Yisra᾽el.

And ῾Ezra the priest brought the Tora before the congregation both of men and women, and all those who could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

And he read therein facing the open place which was before the water gate from morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the Tora.

And ῾Ezra the scribe stood upon a platform of wood, which they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattitya, and Shema, and ῾Anaya, and Uriyya, and Ḥilqiyya, and Ma῾aseya, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaya and Misha᾽el, and Malkiyya, and Ḥashum, and Ḥashbaddana, Zekhrya, Meshullam.

And ῾Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

and ῾Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Also Yeshua, and Bani, and Sherevya, Yamin, ῾Aqquv, Shabbetay, Hodiyya, Ma῾aseya, Qelita, ῾Azarya, Yozaved, Ḥanan, Pelaya, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the Tora: and the people stood in their place.

So they read in the book, in the Tora of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

And Neĥemya, who is the Tirshata, and ῾Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn, or weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Tora.

Then he said to them, Go your way, eat sumptuously, and drink sweet beverages, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy to our Lord: for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; and do not be grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

And on the second day, the chiefs of the fathers’ houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered to ῾Ezra the scribe, in order to study the words of the Tora.

And they found written in the Tora which the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moshe, that the children of Yisra᾽el should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Yerushalayim, saying, Go out to the mountain, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Efrayim.

And all the congregation of those who were come back out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths: for since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Yisra᾽el had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the Tora of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the prescribed form.