1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that [was] before 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  2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women , and all that could hear with understanding , on the first day of the seventh month  3 And he read in it 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] to the book of the law  4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood , which they have 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  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  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  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 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly , and gave the sense , and caused [them] to understand the reading  9 And Nehemiah , which [is] the Tirshasa , and Ezra the priest the scribe , and the Levites that taught the people , said to all the people , This day [is] holy to the LORD your God ; mourn not, nor weep . For all the people wept , when they heard the words of the law  10 Then he said to them, Go your way , eat the fat , and drink the sweet , and send portions to them for who nothing is prepared : for [this] day [is] holy to our Lord : neither be sorry ; for the joy of the LORD is your strength  11 So the Levites stilled all the people , saying , Hold your peace , for the day [is] holy ; neither be grieved  12 And all the people went their way to eat , and to drink , and to send portions , and to make great mirth , because they have understood the words that were declared  13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people , the priests , and the Levites , to Ezra the scribe , even to understand the words of the law  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  15 And that they should publish and proclaim  in all their cities , and in Jerusalem , saying , Go forward to 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  16 So the people went forward , and brought [them], and made themselves booths , every one on 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  17 And all the congregation of them that came again out of the captivity made booths , and sat under the booths : for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day had not the children of Israel done so . And there was very great gladness  18 Also day by day , from the first day to 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 to the manner