Nehemiah 8:1–12 — Ezra reads God’s instructions to the people

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Readers’ Version

Literal Version

8:1 Ezra reads God’s instructions to the people

8 All the people gathered together in the plaza near the Water Gate and asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll with Yahweh’s instructions to Yisrael (Israel) given through Mosheh (Moses). 2 So it was the beginning of October when Ezra the priest brought the scroll to the gathering of men and women and everyone who wanted to understand it, 3 and he read it aloud in the plaza near the Water Gate—reading from dawn until the middle of the day in front of those men and women and interested people, who all listened intently.

4 Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden platform that they had made especially for this purpose. Standing on his right were Matityah, Shema, Anayah, Uriyah, Hilkiyah, and Ma’aseyah, and on his left stood Pedayah, Mishael, Malkiyah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Zekaryah (Zechariah), and Meshulam.

5 Up on the platform, Ezra opened the scroll in front of all the people, and as he did so, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the great God Yahweh and the people raised their arms and responded, “May it be so.” Then they knelt down and bowed to Yahweh with their faces to the ground.

7 Then Yeshua, Bani, Shereveyah, Yamin, Akuv, Shabtay, Hodiyah, Ma’aseyah, Kelita, Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan, Pelayah, who were all Levites, explained what had been read to the people standing there. 8 They read the scroll containing God’s instructions, explaining how it applied so the people could understand it.

9 Then Nehemyah (Nehemiah) the governor and Ezra the priest & scribe, and the Levites who were explaining it, said to all the people, “Today is a sacred day—it belongs to your god Yahweh. Don’t mourn or weep.” That was because all the people were weeping after they heard Yahweh’s instructions to them. 10 Then Nehemyah told them, “Go home and eat some special food with sweet drink, and share some with those who can’t afford such things because today is a sacred day that belongs to our master. And don’t grieve, because the happiness from Yahweh will make you all strong.”

11 The Levites told the people to quieten down, saying, “Don’t grieve today because it’s a sacred day. Stay quiet.” 12 So all the people went to eat and drink and to take plates of food to others, and to have a big celebration because they understood what had been read to them.

8 And_ all _of the_people _they _gathered like_a _person one to the _open_space which to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before the _gate _of the_waters and_they _said to_ˊEzrāʼ the_scribe to_bring DOM the _scroll _of the _law _of Mosheh which YHWH he _had _commanded DOM Yisrā^ʼēl/(Israel).

2 And_ ˊEzrāʼ the_priest/officer _he _brought DOM the_law to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before the_assembly from_man and_unto woman and_all/each/any/every one _who_understood to_listen in/on_day one of_month the_seventh.

3 And_he/it _called in_him/it to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before the _open_space which to_(the)_face _of/in _front _of/before the _gate _of the_waters from the_light until the _middle _of the_day before the_men and_the_women and_those_who_understood and_the _ears _of all _of the_people were_to the _scroll _of the _law.

4 And_ ˊEzrāʼ the_scribe _he _stood on a _high _platform _of wood which people _had _made to_the _message/thing/matter and_he _stood beside_him Mattit^yāh and_Shemaˊ and_ˊAnā^yāh and_ʼŪriy^yāh and_Ḩilqiy^yāh and_Maˊₐsē^yāh on hand _of_his _right and_were_from_left _of_his Pədā^yāh and_Mīshā^ʼēl and_Malkīy^yāh and_Ḩāshum and_Ḩashbaddānāh Zəkar^yāh Məshullām.

5 And_ ˊEzrāʼ _he _opened the_scroll to_the _eyes _of all _of the_people if/because from_under all _of the_people he _was and_just_as_he _opened_it all _of the_people they _stood _up.

6 And_ ˊEzrāʼ _he/it _blessed DOM YHWH the_ʼElohīm (the)_great and_ all _of the_people _they _answered amen amen in_the _raising _of their _hands _of_their and_they _bowed _low and_they _bowed _down to/for_YHWH face ground_to_the.

7 And_Yēshūˊa/(Jeshua) and_Bānī and_Shērēⱱə^yāh[fn][fn] Yāmīn/(Jamin) ˊAqqūⱱ Shabtay Hōdiy^yāh Maˊₐsē^yāh Qəlīţāʼ ˊAzar^yāh Yōzāⱱād/(Jozabad) Ḩānān Pəlā^yāh and_the_Lēviyyiy were_causing _to _understand DOM the_people (to)_law and_the_people were_at place _of_their.

8 And_they _read _aloud in_scroll in_the _law _of the_ʼElohīm making _clear and_they _gave the_sense and_they _understood (in)_reading.

9 And_he/it _said Nəḩem^yāh he was_the_governor and_ˊEzrāʼ the_priest/officer the_scribe and_the_Lēviyyiy who_were_causing _to _understand DOM the_people to/from_all/each/any/every the_people the_day is_holy it to/for_YHWH god _of_your(pl) do _not mourn and_do _not weep if/because all _of the_people were_weeping just_as_they _heard DOM the _words/messages _of the _law.

10 And_he/it _said to/for_them go eat fat _foods and_drink sweet _things and_send portions to_there_is_not a_thing_prepared to_him/it if/because is_holy the_day to_master(s)_of_our and_do _not be _grieved if/because the _joy _of YHWH it refuge _of_is_your(pl).

11 And_the_Lēviyyiy were_making _quiet to/from_all/each/any/every the_people to_say hush if/because the_day is_holy and_do _not be _grieved.

12 And_ all _of the_people _they _went to_eat and_to_drink and_to_send portions and_to_make joy great if/because they _had _understood (in)_words/messages which they _had _made _known to/for_them.

8:7 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.

8:7 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.

OET by section NEH 8:1

Ezra reads God’s instructions to the people

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