All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. Ezr 7:62Ch 34:15Neh 3:26Mat 13:52Ezr 3:1-13Ezr 7:11Isa 8:20Jdg 20:1 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. Lev 23:24Mal 2:7Num 29:1Act 15:21Deu 17:18Deu 31:9-13Isa 28:92Ch 17:7-9 He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Rev 3:22Heb 2:1-3Luk 4:16-20Rev 2:291Th 2:13Act 13:15Act 13:27Act 15:21 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezr 10:29Ezr 10:33Neh 10:18Neh 10:20Neh 10:25Neh 10:3Neh 10:7Neh 11:5 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. Jdg 3:201Ki 8:14Luk 4:16-17 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. 1Ti 2:8Lam 3:41Exo 4:312Ch 20:18Rev 7:11Gen 24:26Neh 5:13Psa 134:2
All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. Neh 9:4Lev 10:11Ezr 10:22-23Neh 3:23Mal 2:72Ch 17:7-92Ch 30:22Deu 33:10 They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading. Luk 24:45Act 28:23Act 17:2-3Act 8:30-35Hab 2:2Luk 24:27Luk 24:32Mat 5:21-22
Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Deu 12:12Neh 7:65Neh 7:70Deu 16:11Neh 8:2Deu 12:7Deu 16:14-15Ecc 3:4 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Psa 28:7-8Pro 17:222Co 12:8-9Ecc 9:7Isa 12:1-3Isa 61:10Psa 149:2Est 9:19
So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.” Num 13:30
All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. Psa 119:174Luk 24:32Neh 8:7-8Psa 119:103-104Psa 119:111Psa 119:127Psa 119:130Psa 119:171
On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. Pro 12:1Pro 2:1-6Pro 8:33-342Ch 30:232Ti 2:24-25Act 13:42Act 4:1Luk 19:47-48 They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; Lev 23:34Deu 16:13-15Lev 23:40-43Zec 14:16-19Gen 33:17Jhn 7:2 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, 1 as it is written.” Lev 23:40Deu 16:16Lev 23:4Gen 8:11Jdg 9:48-49Mat 21:1Jhn 12:13Rev 7:9
So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, 2 everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. 2Ki 14:13Neh 12:39Neh 12:37Neh 3:26Jer 32:29Neh 8:32Ch 20:52Ch 33:5 All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters 3 and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. 2Ch 8:132Ch 7:8-10Ezr 3:41Ch 29:222Ch 30:21-232Ch 30:262Ch 35:18Heb 11:13 Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance. Lev 23:36Num 29:35Deu 31:10-13Jhn 7:37