“And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they
had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and
Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his
left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana,
Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra
opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the
people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And
all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they
bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah,
and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood
in their place. 8 So they read in the
book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to
understand the reading. 9 And Nehemiah,
which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that
taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD
your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the
words of the law.” Nehemiah 8:4-9
