THE GREAT GOD

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.  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:  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. 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. So they read in 

the book in the law of God distinctly, 

and gave the sense, and caused them 

to understand the reading.  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 8:4-8