1 Ezrá gathereth together the people, and readeth to thē

1.ANd all the people aſſembled them ſelues ^" ^"together, in yͤ ſtreat that was before the watergate, and they ſpake vnto Ezrá the ^aſcribe, that he wolde bring the boke of the Law of Moſés, which the Lord had commanded to Iſraél.

2.And Ezrá the Prieſt broght the Law be fore the Congregacion bothe of men and women, and of all that ^bcolde heare and vnderſtand it, in the firſt day of the ſeuent moneth,

3.And he red therein in the ſtreat that was before the watergate (from the morning vntil ^cthe midday)before men and wo men, and of them that vnderſtode it, and the eares of all the people hearkened vnto the boke of the Law.

4.And Ezrá the ſcribe ſtode vpon a pul pit of wood, which he had made for the preaching, & beſide him ſtode Mattithiáh, and Shéma, and Ananiáh, and Vriáh, & Hilkiáh, and Maaſeiáh on his right hād, and on his left hand Pedaiáh, & Miſhaél, and Malchiáh, and Haſhúm, and Haſhbadána, Zechariáh, and Meſhullám.

5.And Eztá opened the boke before all the people: for he was ^daboue all the people: and when he opened it, all the people ſtode vp.

6.And Ezrá praiſed yͤ Lord the great God, and all the people anſwered, Amen, Amé, with lifting vp their hāds: & they bowed them ſelues, and worſhiped the Lord with their faces toward the grounde.

7.Alſo Ieſhúa, and Baní, and Sherebiáh, Iamín, Akkúb, Shabbethái, Hodiáh, Maaſeiáh, Kelitá, Azariáh, Iozabád, Hanán, Pelaiáh, & the Leuites cauſed the people to vnderſtand the Law, and the people ſtode in their place.

8.And they red in the boke of the Law of God diſtinctly and gaue the ſenſe, & cauſed them to vnderſtand the reading.

9.Then Nehemiáh (which is Tirſhatha) and Ezrá the Prieſt & ſcribe, and the Leuites that inſtructed the people, ſaid vnto all the people, This daye is holy vnto the Lord your God: mourne not, netherwepe: for all the people ^ewept, whé they heard the wordes of the Law.

10.He ſaid alſo vnto them, Go, and eat of the fat, & drinke the ſwete, and ſend parte vnto them, for whome none is ^fprepared: for this day is holy vnto our Lord: be ye not ſory therefore: for the ^gioye of the Lord is your ſtrength.

11.And the Leuites made ſilence through out all the people, ſaying, Holde your peace: for yͤ day is holy, be not ſad therefore.

12.Then all the people went to eat and to drinke, and to ſend away parte, & to make great ioye, becauſe they had vnderſtand the wordes that they had taught them.

13.And on the ſecōde day the chief fathers of all the people, the Prieſts and the Leuites were gathered vnto Ezrá the ſcribe, that he alſo might inſtruct them in the wordes of the Law.

14.And the founde writé in the Law, (that the Lord had commanded by Moſés) that the childré of Iſraél ſhulde dwell in ^*boothes in the feaſt of the ſeuent moneth,

15.And that thei ſhulde cauſe it to be declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and in Ieruſalém, ſaying, Go forthe vnto the mount, and bring oliuebranches, and pinebranches, and branches of myrtus, and palmebranches, and branches of thicke trecs, to make boothes, as it is writen.

16.So the people went forthe and broght thē & made them boothes, euerie one vpon the ^hrofe of his houſe, and in their courts, and in the courts of the houſe of God, & in the ſtrete by the watergaie, and in the ſtrete of the gate of Ephráim.

17.And all the Cōgregacion of them yͤ were come againe out of the captiuitie, made boothes, & ſate vnder the boothes: for ſince the ⁱtime of Ieſhúa the ſonne of Nun vnto this day, had not the children of Iſraél done ſo, & there was very great ioye.

18.And he red in the boke of the Law of God euerie day, from the firſt daye vnto the laſt daye. And thei kept the feaſt ſeuen dayes, & on the eight daye a ſolēne aſſemblie, according vnto the maner.

Nehemiah 8

Notes