They read from the book of God&#8217;s law, explaining it<n id="1" /> and imparting insight. Thus the people<n id="2" /> gained understanding from what was read.p>

Shabbethai and Jozabad, leaders<n id="1" /> of the Levites, were in charge of the external work for the temple of God;

<p class="bodytext">Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations<n id="1" /> in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,

Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment<n id="1" /> of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.p>

So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking &#8220;Why is the temple of God neglected?&#8221; Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.<n id="1" />p>

hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders<n id="1" /> and enter into a curse and an oath<n id="2" /> to adhere to<n id="3" /> the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey<n id="4" /> carefully all the commandments of the <sc>LORDsc> our Lord,<n id="5" /> along with his ordinances and his statutes.p>

I then put in charge over Jerusalem<n id="1" /> my brother Hanani and Hananiah<n id="2" /> the chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many do.

Ezra blessed the <sc>LORDsc>, the great God, and all the people replied &#8220;Amen! Amen!&#8221; as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the <sc>LORDsc> with their faces to the ground.p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;You are the <sc>LORDsc> God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham.

Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor in the temple of God,

And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by<n id="1" /> David the man of God.p>

and his colleagues &#8211; Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani &#8211; with musical instruments of<n id="1" /> David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.)<n id="2" />

and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God.

<p class="bodytext">It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters,<n id="1" /> God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work.

<p class="bodytext">Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home.<n id="1" /> He said, &#8220;Let&#8217;s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let&#8217;s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So the people went out and brought these things<n id="1" /> back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple<n id="2" /> of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate.

Ezra<n id="1" /> read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last.<n id="2" /> They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly<n id="3" /> as was required.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Now the rest of the people &#8211; the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples<n id="1" /> because of the law of God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of whom are able to understand &#8211;

<p class="bodytext">The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of Asaph&#8217;s descendants who were the singers responsible for the service of the temple of God.

And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.p>