³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^(A) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites^(A) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(B) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁸ Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read^(A) from the Book of the Law^(B) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,^(C) there was an assembly.^(D)

³ They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

¹¹ when all Israel comes to appear^(A) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,^(B) you shall read this law^(C) before them in their hearing. ¹² Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn^(D) to fear^(E) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law.

² He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read^(A) in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,^(B) which had been found in the temple of the Lord.