And allthe peoplegathered themselves togetheras onemanintothe streetthat was beforethe watergate; and they spokeunto Ezrathe scribeto bringthe bookof the lawof Moses, whichthe LORDhad commandedto Israel. And Ezrathe priestbroughtthe lawbeforethe congregationboth of menand women, and allthat could hearwith understanding, upon the firstdayof the seventhmonth. And he readtherein beforethe streetthat was beforethe watergatefromthe morninguntilmidday, beforethe menand the women, and those that could understand; and the earsof allthe people were attentive untothe bookof the law. And Ezrathe scribestoodupona pulpitof wood, whichthey had madefor the purpose; and besidehim stoodMattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, onhis right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezraopenedthe bookin the sightof allthe people; ( forhe wasaboveallthe people;) and when he openedit, allthe peoplestood up: And Ezrablessedthe LORD, the greatGod. And allthe peopleanswered, Amen, Amen, with lifting uptheir hands: and they bowedtheir heads, and worshipedthe LORDwith their facesto the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the peopleto understandthe law: and the people stood intheir place. So they readin the bookin the lawof Goddistinctly, and gavethe sense, and caused them to understandthe reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezrathe priestthe scribe, and the Levitesthat taughtthe people, saidunto allthe people, Thisday is holyunto the LORDyour God; mournnot, norweep. Forallthe peoplewept, when they heardthe wordsof the law. Then he saidunto them, Goyour way, eatthe fat, and drinkthe sweet, and sendportionsunto them for whom nothingis prepared: for this day is holyunto our Lord: neitherbe ye sorry; forthe joyof the LORDis your strength. So the Levitesstilledallthe people, saying, Hold your peace, forthe day is holy; neitherbe ye grieved. And allthe peoplewenttheir way to eat, and to drink, and to sendportions, and to makegreatmirth, becausethey had understoodthe wordsthatwere declaredunto them. And on the seconddaywere gathered togetherthe chiefof the fathersof allthe people, the priests, and the Levites, untoEzrathe scribe, even to understandthe wordsof the law. And they foundwrittenin the lawwhichthe LORDhad commandedbyMoses, thatthe childrenof Israelshould dwellin boothsin the feastof the seventhmonth: And thatthey should publishand proclaimin alltheir cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forthunto the mount, and fetcholivebranches, and pinebranches, and myrtlebranches, and palmbranches, and branchesof thicktrees, to makebooths, as it is written. So the peoplewent forth, and brought them , and madethemselves booths, every oneuponthe roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courtsof the houseof God, and in the streetof the watergate, and in the streetof the gateof Ephraim. And allthe congregationof them that were come againout ofthe captivitymadebooths, and satunder the booths: forsince the daysof Jeshuathe sonof Nununtothatdayhad notthe childrenof Israeldoneso. And there wasverygreatgladness. Also dayby day, fromthe firstdayuntothe lastday, he readin the bookof the lawof God. And they keptthe feastsevendays; and on the eighthday was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.