Nehemiah 8:1-8
THE LAW READ AND HEARD... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW READ AND HEARD... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man, with entire unanimity of mind, INTO THE STREET THAT WAS BEFORE THE WATER GATE, a large open square near the subterranean water galleries of Ophel; AND THEY SPAKE UNTO EZRA, the scribe, who had come to Jerusalem some thirteen years before wi... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ezra, the priest, brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, either because they were old enough, or because they were within reach of Ezra's voice, UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH. The beginning of the seventh month of the... [ Continue Reading ]
And he read therein, from the roll of parchment on which the Books of Moses were written, BEFORE THE STREET THAT WAS BEFORE THE WATER GATE, before the great assembly in the public square, FROM THE MORNING, from the time it became light, UNTIL MIDDAY, for some six hours, BEFORE THE MEN AND THE WOMEN,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ezra, the scribe, stood upon a pulpit of wood, a high platform with space for more than a dozen men, 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,... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, unrolling the parchment as he progressed with his reading; ( FOR HE WAS ABOVE ALL THE PEOPLE;) AND WHEN HE OPENED IT, ALL THE PEOPLE STOOD UP.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God; he opened his reading with a solemn prayer, during which the people stood, and at the conclusion of which they gave their assent with the word used for that purpose to this day. AND ALL THE PEOPLE ANSWERED, AMEN, AMEN, WITH LIFTING UP THEIR HANDS, in a gestu... [ Continue Reading ]
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, that is, other Levites, for the first thirteen were leaders among the Levites, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW, by explaining the sections read by Ezr... [ Continue Reading ]
So they, Ezra and his assistants, read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. That is the right kind of religious service, when the Word of God is read and explained, and when all who hear it accept it in all sincerity, with praise... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES... [ Continue Reading ]
And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, he being the governor of Judea under appointment from the Persian king, AND EZRA, THE PRIEST, THE SCRIBE, the learned doctor of priestly descent, AND THE LEVITES THAT TAUGHT THE PEOPLE, SAID UNTO ALL THE PEOPLE, THIS DAY IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD, YOUR GOD; MOURN NO... [ Continue Reading ]
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, the special fine foods of the festival season, AND DRINK THE SWEET, AND SEND PORTIONS UNTO THEM FOR WHOM NOTHING IS PREPARED, with the spirit spoken of in Deuteronomy 16:11; FOR THIS DAY IS HOLY UNTO OUR LORD; NEITHER BE YE SORRY, full of mournfulnes... [ Continue Reading ]
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, in the right thankfulness which the occasion demanded, Leviticus 23:23, AND TO MAKE GREAT MIRTH, BECAUSE THEY HAD UNDERSTOOD THE WORDS THAT WERE DECLARED UNTO THEM.... [ Continue Reading ]
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, to consider most carefully, THE WORDS OF THE LAW, including such ordinances as had not again been observed since the return from the exile... [ Continue Reading ]
And they found written in the Law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, namely, in Leviticus 23:34; Deuteronomy 16:13, THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SHOULD DWELL IN BOOTHS IN THE FEAST OF THE SEVENTH MONTH, in the so-called Feast of Tabernacles;... [ Continue Reading ]
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, the range of which the Mount of Olives was the highest, AND FETCH OLIVE-BRANCHES, AND PINE-BRANCHES, those of the oil-tree of Palestine, and myrtle-branches, a small tree with tangled bra... [ Continue Reading ]
So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, Deuteronomy 16:13, EVERY ONE UPON THE ROOF OF HIS HOUSE, the roofs of Oriental houses being flat, AND IN THEIR COURTS, AND IN THE COURTS OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, AND IN THE STREET OF THE WATER GATE, the large open square near the Te... [ Continue Reading ]
And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths and sat under the booths, they lived in them during the week of the festival; FOR SINCE THE DAYS OF JESHUA, THE SON OF NUN, UNTO THAT DAY HAD NOT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DONE SO, the enthusiasm and joy of the peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he, Ezra, READ IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF GOD, the zeal of the people causing him to do even more than the Law actually required. AND THEY KEPT THE FEAST SEVEN DAYS; AND ON THE EIGHTH DAY WAS A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY, ACCORDING UNTO THE MANNER, Leviticu... [ Continue Reading ]