1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto 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 midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto 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 up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped 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, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto 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 unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; 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 unto them.
13 ¶ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto 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 unto 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 were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto 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 unto 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 unto the manner.
Ezra lasa tautai priekšā bauslību
1 Visa tauta kā viens sapulcējās laukumā pie Ūdens vārtiem un sacīja rakstu zinātājam Ezram, lai atnes Mozus bauslības grāmatu, ko Kungs bija devis Israēlam. 2 Priesteris Ezra atnesa sapulcei bauslības grāmatu, lai gan vīrs, gan sieva varētu klausīties un saprast. Tas bija septītā mēneša pirmajā dienā. 3 Viņš lasīja no tās Ūdens vārtu laukumā no agra rīta līdz dienas vidum vīriem, sievām un tiem, kas spēja saprast. Visa tauta klausījās bauslības grāmatā. 4 Rakstu zinātājs Ezra stāvēja uz paaugstinājuma, kas šim nolūkam bija darināts no koka. Viņam blakus pa labi stāvēja Matitja, Šema, Anāja, Ūrija, Hilkija un Maasēja, pa kreisi – Pedāja, Mīšaēls, Malkija, Hāšums, Hašbadāna, Zeharja un Mešullāms.
5 Ezra atvēra grāmatu, visai tautai redzot, viņš atradās augstāk par visu tautu, kad to atvēra, un visa tauta stāvēja. 6 Ezra slavēja Kungu, lielo Dievu, un visa tauta paceltām rokām iesaucās: “Patiesi! Patiesi!” Viņi zemojās Kungam un noliecās ar seju līdz zemei. 7 Jozua, Bānī, Šērēbja, Jāmīns, Akūbs, Šabtajs, Hodija, Maasēja, Kelīta, Azarja, Jehozābāds, Hānāns, Pelāja un levīti skaidroja tautai bauslību – tauta stāvēja. 8 Viņi lasīja un skaidroja Dieva bauslības grāmatu, lai tauta apjēgtu un saprastu lasīto.
9 Pārvaldnieks Nehemija, rakstu zinātājs priesteris Ezra un levīti, kas mācīja tautu, sacīja visai tautai: “Šī diena ir svēta Kungam, jūsu Dievam! Nesērojiet un neraudiet!” – jo visa tauta raudāja, dzirdēdama bauslības vārdus. 10 Nehemija tiem sacīja: “Ejiet, ēdiet treknu un dzeriet saldu, un dodiet tiem, kam nav nekā, ko ēst, jo šī diena ir svēta mūsu Kungam! Neskumstiet, jūsu patvērums ir prieks, ko dod Kungs!” 11 Tā levīti klusināja tautu, sacīdami: “Esiet mierā, jo šī diena ir svēta! Neskumstiet!” 12 Tad visa tauta aizgāja ēst, dzert, dalīties ēdienā un vareni līksmot, jo tie bija sapratuši vārdus, kas tiem bija mācīti.
Būdiņu svētki
(3Moz 23:33–43)13 Nākamajā dienā pie rakstu zinātāja Ezras sapulcējās visas tautas tēvu namu galvenie, priesteri un levīti, lai pārdomātu bauslības vārdus. 14 Bauslībā, ko Kungs caur Mozu bija pavēlējis, viņi atrada rakstītu, ka septītā mēneša svētkos Israēla dēliem jādzīvo būdiņās, 15 visās viņu pilsētās un Jeruzālemē jāsludina un jāsauc: “Dodieties kalnos un nesiet olīvkoka zarus, eļļas koka zarus, mirtes zarus, palmu zarus un citu zaļoksnu koku zarus, un taisiet no tiem būdiņas, kā rakstīts!”
16 Tad tauta izgāja ārā un sanesa zarus, lai taisītu būdiņas – katrs uz sava jumta, pagalmos un Dieva nama pagalmos, laukumā pie Ūdens vārtiem un laukumā pie Efraima vārtiem. 17 Visa no gūsta pārnākusī sapulce taisīja būdiņas un dzīvoja tajās. Tā Israēla dēli nebija darījuši kopš Jozuas, Nūna dēla, dienām līdz šai dienai, tāpēc valdīja liela līksmība. 18 Dienu no dienas tika lasīta Dieva bauslības grāmata – kopš pirmās līdz pēdējai dienai. Svētki ilga septiņas dienas, un astotajā dienā bija svētku sapulce, kā noteikts.
