9So Moseswrotethislaw and gave it to the priests, the sons of Leviawho carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and to all the elders of Israel.
Deuteronomy 33:10
10“aThey shall 1teach Your judgments to Jacob,And Your law to Israel.bThey shall putincense2before You,And cwholeburntofferings on Your altar.
Nehemiah 8
Ezra Reads the Book of the Law
8And all the peoplegathered as oneman at the squarewhich was in front of athe WaterGate, and they said to bEzra the scribe to bringcthe book of the law of MoseswhichYahweh had commanded to Israel. 2Then aEzra the priestbrought the lawbefore the assembly of men, women, and all who couldunderstand when listening, on bthe firstday of the seventhmonth. 3And he read from it before the squarewhich was in front of athe WaterGate from 1earlymorninguntil midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the ears of the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4Ezra the scribestood on a woodenpodiumwhich they had made for the purpose. And beside him stoodMattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his righthand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, andMeshullam on his lefthand. 5And Ezraopenedathe book in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people; and when he opened it, all the peoplebstood up. 6Then EzrablessedYahweh the greatGod. And all the peopleanswered, “aAmen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then bthey bowedlow and worshipedYahweh with their1faces to the ground. 7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, wereprovidingunderstanding of the law to the people while the peoplestood in their place. 8They read from the book, from the law of God, 1explaining and 2givinginsight, and they providedunderstanding of the reading.
This Day Is Holy
9Then Nehemiah, who was the 1,agovernor, and Ezrabthe priestandscribe, and the Levites, who provided the people with understanding, said to all the people, “cThisday is holy to Yahweh your God; ddo not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and asendportions to him who has nothingprepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.” 11So the Levitesquietedall the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12Then all the peoplewent away to eat, to drink, ato sendportions, and to celebrate with greatgladness, bbecause they understood the wordswhich had been madeknown to them.
Feast of Booths Restored
13Then on the secondday the heads of fathers’households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gaininsight into the words of the law. 14They foundwritten in the lawhowYahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses that the sons of Israelashould live in booths during the feast of the seventhmonth, 15aand that they should make the reportheard and make a proclamationof itpass throughout all their cities and bin Jerusalem, saying, “cGoout to the hills, and bringolivebranches and 1wild olivebranches, myrtlebranches, palmbranches, and branches of otherleafytrees, to makebooths, as it is written.” 16So the peoplewentout and broughtthem and madebooths for themselves, eachaon his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at bthe WaterGate and in the square at cthe Gate of Ephraim. 17The entireassembly of those who had returned from the captivitymadebooths and lived in the booths. The sons of Israelahad indeed not doneso from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And bthere was exceedinglygreatgladness. 18aAnd he read from the book of the law of Goddaily, from the firstday to the lastday. And they bcelebrated the feastsevendays, and on cthe eighthdaythere was a solemnassembly according to the legaljudgment.