A reading from the book of Nehemiah.

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate,

and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.

So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,

both men and women and all who could understand what they

heard on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it, facing the square before the

Watergate, 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. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose,

and beside him stood Matathaya, Shima, Anaya, Uriah, Hilchaya, and Measea on his right hand, and Padaea, Mishael, Malkaja, Hesham, Hashidna,

Zechariah, and Mashulam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people,

for he was above all the people, and as he opened it, all the

people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God, and all the people answered,

Amen,

Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces

to the ground. Also Jesua, Beini, Cherubiah, Jaman, Akab, Shabbethai,

Hodaya, Measea, Kelyta, Azariah, Josabad, Hanan, Hellea, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law

while the people remained in their places.

They read from the book, from the law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense so that the

people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and

scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people,

This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep, for all the people wept as they heard the words of the law.

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