Nehemiah 8

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 all the people gathered as one man in the square in front of the Water Gate, and asked the scribe Ezrato bring the Book of the Law of Moses which Yahweh had prescribed for Israel.	1 And the seventh month came: and the children of Israel were in their cities. And all the people were gathered together as one mall to the street which is before the water gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2 Accordingly, on the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the Law before theassembly, consisting of men, women and al those old enough to understand.	2 Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, in the first day of the seventh month.
3 In the square in front of the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and women, and of those oldenough to understand, he read from the book from dawn till noon; al the people listened attentively to the Bookof the Law.	3 And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book.
4 The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden dais erected for the purpose; beside him stood, on his right,Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; on his left, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum,Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshul am.	4 And Esdras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to speak upon, and there stood by him Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand: and on the left, Phadaia, Misael, and Melchia, and Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam.
5 In full view of al the people -- since he stood higher than them al -- Ezra opened the book; and whenhe opened it, al the people stood up.	5 And Esdras opened the book before all the people: for he was above all the people: and when he had opened it, all the people stood.
6 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God, and al the people raised their hands and answered, 'Amen!Amen!'; then they bowed down and, face to the ground, prostrated themselves before Yahweh.	6 And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground.
7 And Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabab,Hanan, Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the Law to the people, while the people al kept their places.	7 Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sephtai, Odia, Maasia, Celtia, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law: end the people stood in their place.
8 Ezra read from the book of the Law of God, translating and giving the sense; so the reading wasunderstood.	8 And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.
9 Then His Excel ency Nehemiah and the priest-scribe Ezra and the Levites who were instructing thepeople said to al the people, 'Today is sacred to Yahweh your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep.' For thepeople were all in tears as they listened to the words of the Law.	9 And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 He then said, 'You may go; eat what is rich, drink what is sweet and send a helping to the man whohas nothing prepared. For today is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.'	10 And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.
11 And the Levites calmed al the people down, saying, 'Keep quiet; this is a sacred day. Do not be sad.'	11 And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.
12 Then al the people went off to eat and drink and give helpings away and enjoy themselves to the ful ,since they had understood the meaning of what had been proclaimed to them.	12 So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.
13 On the second day, the heads of families of the whole people, and the priests and Levites, gatheredround the scribe Ezra to study the words of the Law.	13 And on the second day the chiefs of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Esdras the scribe, that he should interpret to them the words of the law.
14 And written in the Law that Yahweh had prescribed through Moses they found that the Israelites wereto live in shelters during the feast of the seventh month.	14 And they found written in the law, that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in tabernacles, on the feast, in the seventh month:
15 So they issued a proclamation and had it circulated in al their towns and in Jerusalem: 'Go into thehil s and bring branches of olive, pine, myrtle, palm and other leafy trees to make shelters, as it says in the book.'	15 And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.
16 The people went out; they brought branches and made shelters for themselves, each man on his roof,in their courtyards, in the precincts of the Temple of God, in the square of the Water Gate and in the square ofthe Ephraim Gate.	16 And the people went forth, and brought. And they made themselves tabernacles every man on the top 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 The whole assembly, al who had returned from the captivity, put up shelters and lived in them; thisthe Israelites had not done from the days of Joshua son of Nun til that day, and there was very greatmerrymaking.	17 And all the assembly of them that were returned from the captivity, made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue the son of Nun the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.
18 Each day, from the first day to the last one, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. Theycelebrated the feast for seven days; on the eighth day, as prescribed, they held a solemn assembly.	18 And he read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day till the last, and they kept the solemnity seven days, and in the eighth day a solemn assembly according to the manner.