Ezra Reads the Law
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before ch. 3:26the Water Gate. And they told See Ezra 7:6Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest See Deut. 31:11brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, Lev. 23:24on the first day of the seventh month. 3 See ch. 13:1And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,8:8 Or with interpretation, or paragraph by paragraph and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
This Day Is Holy
9 And Nehemiah, who was ch. 7:65,70;10:1;Ezra 2:63the governor, and Ezra ch. 12:26the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, ver. 2;Lev. 23:24;Num. 29:1"This day is holy to the Lord your God; [Eccles. 3:4]do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.