1 all the people gathered with one accord in the open space in front of the Water Gate and asked ‘Ezra theTorah-teacher to bring the scroll of theTorahof Moshe, whichAdonaihad commanded Isra’el.
2 ‘Ezra thecohenbrought theTorahbefore the assembly, which consisted of men, women and all children old enough to understand. It was the first day of the seventh month.
3 Facing the open space in front of the Water Gate, he read from it to the men, the women and the children who could understand from early morning until noon; and all the people listened attentively to the scroll of theTorah.
4 ‘Ezra theTorah-teacher stood on a wood platform which they had made for the purpose; beside him on his right stood Mattityah, Shema, ‘Anayah, Uriyah, Hilkiyah and Ma‘aseiyah; while on his left were P’dayah, Misha’el, Malkiyah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Z’kharyah and Meshulam.
5 ‘Ezra opened the scroll where all the people could see him, because he was higher than all the people; when he opened it, all the people rose to their feet.
6 ‘Ezra blessedAdonai, the great God; and all the people answered, “Amen!Amen!” as they lifted up their hands, bowed their heads and fell prostrate beforeAdonaiwith their faces to the ground.
7 TheL’vi’imYeshua, Bani, Sherevyah, Yamin, ‘Akuv, Shabtai, Hodiyah, Ma‘aseiyah, K’lita, ‘Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan and P’layah explained theTorahto the people, while the people remained in their places.
8 They read clearly from the scroll, in theTorahof God, translated it, and enabled them to understand the sense of what was being read.
9 Nechemyah theTirshata, ‘Ezra thecohenandTorah-teacher and theL’vi’imwho taught the people said to all the people, “Today is consecrated toAdonaiyour God; don’t be mournful, don’t weep.” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of theTorah.
10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat rich food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who can’t provide for themselves; for today is consecrated to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy ofAdonaiis your strength.”
11 In this way theL’vi’imquieted the people, as they said, “Be quiet, for today is holy; don’t be sad.”
12 Then the people went off to eat, drink, send portions and celebrate; because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them.
13 On the second day, the heads of fathers’ clans of all the people assembled with thecohanimandL’vi’imbefore ‘Ezra theTorah-teacher to study the words of theTorah.
14 They found written in theTorahthatAdonaihad ordered through Moshe that the people of Isra’el were to live insukkotduring the feast of the seventh month;
15 and that they were to announce and pass the word in all their cities and in Yerushalayim, “Go out to the mountains, and collect branches of olives, wild olives, myrtles, palms, and other leafy trees to makesukkot, as prescribed.”
16 So the people went out, brought them and madesukkotfor themselves, each one on the roof of his house, also in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the open space by the Water Gate and in the open space by the Efrayim Gate.
17 The entire community of those who had returned from the exile madesukkotand lived in thesukkot, for the people of Isra’el had not done this since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun. So there was very great joy.
18 Also they read every day, from the first day until the last day, in the scroll of theTorahof God. They kept the feast for seven days; then on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.