39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have (A)gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And (B)you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and (C)you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 (D)You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 (E)You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that (F)your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

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39 “‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival(A) to the Lord for seven days;(B) the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. 40 On the first day you are to take branches(C) from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees(D)—and rejoice(E) before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Live in temporary shelters(F) for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters 43 so your descendants will know(G) that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

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14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses (A)that the people of Israel should dwell in booths[a] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and (B)publish it in all their towns and (C)in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring (D)branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (E)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (F)the Water Gate and in the square at (G)the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day (H)the people of Israel had not done so. And there was (I)very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, (J)he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and (K)on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:14 Or temporary shelters

14 They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters(A) during the festival of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.[a]

16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate(B) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.(C) 17 The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.(D) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated(E) it like this. And their joy was very great.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:15 See Lev. 23:37-40.