Neh 8:12-18 | NETfull | STEP | So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food with others and to enjoy tremendous joy, for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.

Nehemiah 8:12-18

12 So all the people departed to eat and drink and to share their food ^{▼▼ Heb “to send portions.”} with others ^{▼▼ The Hebrew text does not include the phrase “with others” but it has been supplied in the translation for clarity.} and to enjoy tremendous joy, ^{▼▼ Heb “to make great joy.”} for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.

13 On the second day of the month the family leaders ^{▼▼ Heb “the heads of the fathers.”} met with ^{▼▼ Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”} Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 14 They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through ^{▼▼ Heb “by the hand of.”} Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message ^{▼▼ Heb “a voice.”} in all their cities and in Jerusalem: ^{▼▼ For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; Journey of Paul map 1-F4; Journey of Paul map 2-F4; Journey of Paul map 3-F4; Journey of Paul map 4-F4.} “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”

16 So the people went out and brought these things ^{▼▼ The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.} back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple ^{▼▼ Heb “the house.”} of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 17 So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy. ^{▼▼ Heb “And there was very great joy.”} 18 Ezra ^{▼▼ Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. ^{▼▼ Heb “the last day.”} They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly ^{▼▼ Heb “on the eighth day an assembly.” The words “they held” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.} as was required. ^{▼▼ Heb “according to the judgment.”}