Nehemiah 8 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Ezra Reads the Law

And all^H3605 the people^H5971 gathered^H622 as one^H259 person^H376 at the public^H7339 square^H7339 which^H834 was in front^H6440 of the Water^H4325 Gate^H8179, and they [fn]asked^H559 Ezra^H5830 the scribe^H5608 to bring^H935 the Book^H5612 of the Law^H8451 of Moses^H4872 which^H834 the LORD^H3068 had [fn]given^H6680 to Israel^H3478.

Neh 8:2

Neh 8:2Then Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

Neh 8:3

Neh 8:3And he read from it before the public square which was in front of the Water Gate, from [fn]early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and [fn]all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Neh 8:4

Neh 8:4Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left.

Neh 8:5

Neh 8:5Then Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

Neh 8:6

Neh 8:6Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” with the raising of their hands; then they kneeled down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Neh 8:7

Neh 8:7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Law to the people while the people remained in their place.

Neh 8:8

Neh 8:8They read from the book, from the Law of God, [fn]translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

Neh 8:9

Then Nehemiah^H5166, who^H1931 was the [fn]governor^H8660, and Ezra^H5830 the priest^H3548 and scribe^H5608, and the Levites^H3881 who taught^H995 the people^H5971 said^H559 to all^H3605 the people^H5971, “This^H1931 day^H3117 is holy^H6918 to the LORD^H3068 your God^H430; do not mourn^H56 or weep^H1058.” For all^H3605 the people^H5971 were weeping^H1058 when they heard^H8085 the words^H1697 of the Law^H8451.

Neh 8:10

Neh 8:10Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your [fn]refuge.”

Neh 8:11

Neh 8:11So the Levites silenced all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

Neh 8:12

Neh 8:12Then all the people went away to eat, drink, to send portions, and to [fn]celebrate a great feast, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.

Feast of Booths Restored

(cf. Lev 23:33–43 )

Neh 8:13

Then on the second^H8145 day^H3117 the heads^H7218 of fathers’^H1 households of all^H3605 the people^H5971, the priests^H3548, and the Levites^H3881 were gathered^H622 to Ezra^H5830 the scribe^H5608 so that they might gain^H7919 insight^H7919 into the words^H1697 of the Law^H8451.

Neh 8:14

Neh 8:14And they found written in the Law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel were to live in [fn]booths during the feast of the seventh month.

Neh 8:15

Neh 8:15And that they were to proclaim and circulate a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and [fn]wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of other trees with thick branches, to make booths, as it is written.”

Neh 8:16

Neh 8:16So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the public square at the Water Gate, and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.

Neh 8:17

Neh 8:17The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths. Indeed, the sons of Israel had not done so since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was very great rejoicing.

Neh 8:18

Neh 8:18He read from the Book of the Law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a festive assembly in accordance with the ordinance.

See the NASB20 Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NASB20 Footnotes

Lit said to

Lit commanded

Lit the light

Lit the ears of all...were to

(8:8)

Or explaining

(8:9)

Heb Tirshatha, a Persian title

(8:10)

Or stronghold

(8:12)

Lit make a great rejoicing

(8:14)

I.e., huts, also called tabernacles

(8:15)

Lit oil tree, species unknown

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Nehemiah Chapter 8 — Additional Translations: