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Ezra Reads the Law
8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together
as one man into the street that was before the water gate;
and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the
law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the
congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear
with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
8:3 And he read therein before the street that was before
the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men
and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears
of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
8:4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which
they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood
Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah,
and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand,
Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and
Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
8:5 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:
8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the
people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands:
and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with
their faces to the ground.
8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub,
Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad,
Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to
understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly,
and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the
reading.
8:9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the
priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people,
said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD
your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when
they heard the words of the law.
8:10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and
drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom
nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD:
neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your
strength.
8:11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold
your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
8:12 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
unto them.
8:13 And on the second 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 law.
8:14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had
commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell
in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
8:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their
cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount,
and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle
branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to
make booths, as it is written.
8:16 So the people went forth, 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 street of the water gate, and in the street of the
gate of Ephraim.
8:17 And all the congregation of them that were come again
out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths:
for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day
had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very
great gladness.
8:18 Also day by day, 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
assembly, according unto the manner. |
Cults 
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