1 All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. 2 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 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 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God.

All the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. 8 They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

9 Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, 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, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength."

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved."

12 All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

13 On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how Yahweh 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 out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written."

16 So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. 17 All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. 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. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

1 到了七月， 以色列人都住在自己的城里。（《马索拉抄本》以本句为7:73下半节）那时众民如同一人， 在水门前的广场聚集， 请经学家以斯拉把耶和华借摩西命令以色列人遵守的律法书带来。

2 七月初一日， 以斯拉祭司把律法书带到所有听了能明白的男女会众面前。

3 在水门前面的广场， 从清早到中午， 向众男女和听了能明白的人宣读出来。众民都侧耳倾听这律法书的话。

4 经学家以斯拉站在为这事特制的木台上； 站在他右边的， 有玛他提雅、示玛、亚奈雅、乌利亚、希勒家和玛西雅； 站在他左边的， 有毗大雅、米沙利、玛基雅、哈顺、哈拔大拿、撒迦利亚和米书兰。

5 以斯拉在众人眼前展开那书卷； 他高高地站在众民以上， 他把书卷展开， 众民就站起来。

6 以斯拉称颂耶和华至大的 神， 众民举手应声说： "阿们！ 阿们！ "然后跪下， 脸伏在地， 敬拜耶和华。

7 然后利未人耶书亚、巴尼、示利比、雅悯、亚谷、沙比太、荷第雅、玛西雅、基利他、亚撒利雅、约撒拔、哈难和毗莱雅就教导他们明白律法。众人一直站在原处聆听。

8 他们宣读 神的律法， 把意义清楚翻译出来， 使众民明白所宣读的。

9 省长尼希米和祭司兼经学家以斯拉， 以及教导人民明白律法的利未人对众民说： "今天是耶和华你们的 神的圣日， 你们不要悲哀哭泣。"因为众人听见律法书上的话， 都哭了。

10 尼希米又对他们说： "你们应当去吃肥美的肉， 喝甘甜的酒， 把部分饮食分给没有能力预备的人， 因为今天是我们的主的圣日； 你们不要忧愁， 因为靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。"

11 于是利未人使众民安静下来， 说： "你们安静吧， 因为今天是圣日， 也不要再忧愁！ "

12 众民就去吃喝， 也把部分饮食与人分享， 大大欢乐。因为他们明白教训他们的话。

13 第二天， 众民的族长、祭司和利未人都聚集到经学家以斯拉那里， 研究律法的话。

14 他们发现律法上记载， 耶和华曾借着摩西吩咐以色列人， 要在七月的节期中， 住在棚里，

15 并且要在自己的城里和在耶路撒冷宣扬布告说： "你们要上到山上， 把橄榄树枝、油木树枝、番石榴枝、棕树枝和树叶繁茂大树的枝子带回来， 照着律法所写的搭棚。"

16 于是众民出去， 把树枝带回来， 各人在自己的房顶上， 在院子里， 神的院中， 水门的广场， 或是在以法莲门的广场搭棚。

17 从被掳归回的全体会众都搭了棚， 并且住在棚里； 从嫩的儿子约书亚的时候， 直到那日， 以色列人都没有这样行过。大家都非常快乐。

18 从头一天直到最后一天， 每天都宣读 神的律法书。他们守节七天， 第八天照典章有严肃会。