1. All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Torah of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2. Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
3. He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the scroll of the Torah.
4. Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5. 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. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.