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¹Now all ⚓the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was⚓in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the ⚓scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. ²So Ezra the priest brought ⚓the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding ⚓on the first day of the seventh month. ³Then he ⚓read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
⁴So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵And 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. ⁶And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.
Then all the people ⚓answered, “Amen, Amen!” while ⚓lifting up their hands. And they ⚓bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
⁷Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, ⚓helped the people to understand the Law; and the people ⚓stood in their place. ⁸So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
⁹⚓And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and 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 nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
¹⁰Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, ⚓and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
¹¹So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” ¹²And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to ⚓send portions and rejoice greatly, because they ⚓understood the words that were declared to them.

The Feast of Tabernacles

¹³Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. ¹⁴And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in ⚓booths during the feast of the seventh month, ¹⁵and ⚓that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and ⚓in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and ⚓bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
¹⁶Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the ⚓roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the ⚓Water Gate ⚓and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very ⚓great gladness. ¹⁸Also ⚓day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast ⚓seven days; and on the ⚓eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

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¹那时，众百姓如同一人聚集在水门前的广场，请以斯拉文士将耶和华吩咐以色列的摩西的律法书带来。 ²七月初一，以斯拉祭司将律法书带到听了能明白的男女会众面前。 ³他在水门前的广场，从清早到中午，在男女和能明白的人面前读这律法书，众百姓都侧耳而听。 ⁴以斯拉文士站在为这事特制的木台上。站在他旁边的有玛他提雅、示玛、亚奈雅、乌利亚和希勒家；站在他右边的有玛西雅；站在他左边的有毗大雅、米沙利、玛基雅、哈顺、哈拔大拿、撒迦利亚和米书兰。 ⁵以斯拉站在上面，在众百姓眼前展开这书。他一展开，众百姓都站起来。 ⁶以斯拉称颂耶和华至大的上帝，众百姓都举手应声说：“阿们！阿们！”他们低头，俯伏在地，敬拜耶和华。 ⁷耶书亚、巴尼、示利比、雅悯、亚谷、沙比太、荷第雅、玛西雅、基利他、亚撒利雅、约撒拔、哈难、毗莱雅和利未人使百姓明白律法；百姓都站在自己的地方。 ⁸他们清清楚楚地念上帝的律法书，讲明意思，使百姓明白所念的。
⁹尼希米省长、以斯拉祭司文士，和教导百姓的利未人对众百姓说：“今日是耶和华－你们上帝的圣日，不要悲哀，也不要哭泣。”这是因为众百姓听见律法书上的话都哭了。 ¹⁰尼希米对他们说：“你们去吃肥美的，喝甘甜的，有不能预备的就分给他，因为今日是我们主的圣日。你们不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。” ¹¹于是利未人叫众百姓安静，说：“安静，因今日是圣日，不要忧愁。” ¹²众百姓去吃喝，也分给别人，都大大喜乐，因为他们明白所教导他们的话。

住棚节

¹³次日，众百姓的族长、祭司和利未人都聚集到以斯拉文士那里，要明白律法书上的话。 ¹⁴他们发现律法书上写着，耶和华藉摩西吩咐以色列人要在七月的节期中住在棚里， ¹⁵并要在各城和耶路撒冷传扬宣告说：“你们当出去，上山，把橄榄树、野橄榄树、番石榴树、棕树和各样茂密树的枝子取来，照着所写的搭棚。” ¹⁶于是百姓出去，取了树枝来，各人在自己的房顶上，院子里，上帝殿的院内，水门的广场，和以法莲门的广场搭棚。 ¹⁷从被掳之地归回的全会众就搭棚，住在棚里。从嫩的儿子约书亚的时候直到这日，以色列人没有这样行。他们都大大喜乐。 ¹⁸从第一天直到末一天，以斯拉天天朗读上帝的律法书。他们守节七日，第八日照例有严肃会。