1 And all the people assembled as one man in 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, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water-gate from the morning until mid-day, 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 upon a pulpit of wood, which they had 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 their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped 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, who [is] the Tirshatha, 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 whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy to our LORD: neither be ye sad; 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 ye 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 had understood the words that were declared to them. 13 And on the second day were assembled 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 forth 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 forth, and brought [them] , and made themselves booths, every one upon 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 had returned from 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.
Nehemiah · Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Nehemiah 8 Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Akkub
Akkub is named among the gatekeepers, with Shallum as their chief (1 Chronicles 9:17).
Cited in the guide: 1 Chronicles 9:17; Nehemiah 8:7
Anaiah
Stood at Ezra’s right side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Azariah
Levite named Azariah in the Levites who instructed the people in the Law (Nehemiah 8:7). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7
Bani
Levite named Bani in the Levites who taught the Law, led confession and sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 8:7, 9:4-5, 10:13). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 9:4; Nehemiah 9:5
Hanan
Levite named Hanan in the Levites who taught the Law and sealed the covenant. The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 10:10
Hashum
Stood at Ezra’s left side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Hilkiah
Stood at Ezra’s right side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Jamin
Levite named Jamin in the Levites who instructed the people in the Law (Nehemiah 8:7). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7
Jeshua
Levite who returned with Zerubbabel, supervised the temple work with Kadmiel, taught the people the Law, and led the confession and blessing. The list in Neh 10:9 names a Jeshua…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 2:40; Ezra 3:9; Nehemiah 8:7
Jozabad
Levite named Jozabad in the Levites who taught the Law, and among the leaders who supervised work outside the house of God. The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 11:16
Kelita
Levite named Kelita in the Levites who taught the Law and sealed the covenant. The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 10:10
Maaseiah
Stood at Ezra’s right side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Maaseiah
Levite named Maaseiah in the Levites who instructed the people in the Law (Nehemiah 8:7). The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7
Mattithiah
Stood at Ezra’s right side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Meshullam
Stood at Ezra’s left side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Mishael
Stood at Ezra’s left side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Nehemiah
Son of Hacaliah and cupbearer to Artaxerxes at Susa; grieved over Jerusalem, was sent as governor, rebuilt the wall in 52 days despite opposition, led the covenant renewal, and…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 1:1; Nehemiah 8:9; Nehemiah 10:1
Pedaiah
Stood at Ezra’s left side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Pelaiah
Levite named Pelaiah in the Levites who taught the Law and sealed the covenant. The lists do not say whether same-named Levites in different lists are one man.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 10:10
Shabbethai
Levite who supported the opposition to the plan in Ezra 10:15; a Levite of this name also helps explain the Law (Neh 8:7) and supervises work outside the temple (Neh 11:16).
Cited in the guide: Ezra 10:15; Nehemiah 8:7; Nehemiah 11:16
Shema
Stood at Ezra’s right side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Sherebiah
A man of insight from the line of Mahli son of Levi, brought to Ezra with 18 sons and brothers; he was set apart to guard the silver and gold. A Levite of this name also teaches…
Cited in the guide: Ezra 8:18; Ezra 8:24; Nehemiah 8:7
Zechariah
Stood at Ezra’s left side on the wooden platform when he read the Law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 8:4
Cross references (18)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezra 7:6; 2 Chronicles 34:15; Nehemiah 3:26; Matthew 13:52; Ezra 3:1–13
- 2 Leviticus 23:24; Malachi 2:7; Numbers 29:1; Isaiah 28:9; Acts 15:21
- 3 Revelation 3:22; Luke 4:16–20; Hebrews 2:1–3; Revelation 2:29; Acts 28:23
- 4 Nehemiah 10:18; Nehemiah 10:25; Ezra 10:33; Ezra 10:29; Nehemiah 10:3
- 5 Judges 3:20; 1 Kings 8:14; Luke 4:16–17
- 6 1 Timothy 2:8; Lamentations 3:41; Exodus 4:31; 2 Chronicles 20:18; Revelation 7:11
- 7 Nehemiah 9:4; Leviticus 10:11; Nehemiah 3:23; Ezra 10:22–23; Malachi 2:7
- 8 Luke 24:45; Acts 28:23; Acts 17:2–3; Luke 24:32; Acts 8:30–35
- 9 Nehemiah 7:65; Nehemiah 7:70; Deuteronomy 12:12; Deuteronomy 16:11; Nehemiah 8:2
- 10 Psalm 28:7–8; Proverbs 17:22; 2 Corinthians 12:8–9; Ecclesiastes 9:7; Isaiah 12:1–3
- 11 Numbers 13:30
- 12 Psalm 119:174; Psalm 119:171; Psalm 119:72; Luke 24:32; Nehemiah 8:7–8
- 13 Proverbs 8:33–34; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 2:1–6; Acts 4:1; 2 Chronicles 30:23
- 14 Leviticus 23:34; Leviticus 23:40–43; Deuteronomy 16:13–15; Zechariah 14:16–19; John 7:2
- 15 Leviticus 23:40; Deuteronomy 16:16; Leviticus 23:4; Judges 9:48–49; Genesis 8:11
- 16 Nehemiah 12:39; 2 Kings 14:13; Nehemiah 3:26; Nehemiah 12:37; Nehemiah 8:3
- 17 2 Chronicles 8:13; 2 Chronicles 7:8–10; Ezra 3:4; John 1:14; Hebrews 11:9
- 18 Leviticus 23:36; Numbers 29:35; Deuteronomy 31:10–13; John 7:37
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences