Nehemiah 8:9
New International Version
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

New Living Translation
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

English Standard Version
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

Berean Standard Bible
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

New American Standard Bible
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.

NASB 1995
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

NASB 1977
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites, who provided the people with understanding, said to all the people, “This day is holy to Yahweh your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Amplified Bible
Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.

Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

American Standard Version
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Nekhemiah the Head of the Priests spoke, and Azra the Priest the Scribe, and the Levites who were serving the people, and they were saying to all the people: “Today is holy before LORD JEHOVAH your God! You shall not sorrow for yourselves and you shall not weep!”, because all the people were weeping when they were hearing the scroll of The Torah.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Neemias, and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites, and they that instructed the people, spoke and said to all the people, It is a holy day to the Lord our God; do not mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

Contemporary English Version
The people started crying when God's Law was read to them. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the Levites who had been teaching the people all said, "This is a special day for the LORD your God. So don't be sad and don't cry!"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

English Revised Version
And Nehemiah, which was 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, "This is a holy day for the LORD your God. Don't mourn or cry." All the people were crying as they listened to the reading of God's Teachings.

Good News Translation
When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God, so you are not to mourn or cry.

International Standard Version
Because all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Law, Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the descendants of Levi who taught the people told everyone, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Nehemiah, who was 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.

Literal Standard Version
And Nehemiah—he [is] the Tirshatha—says (and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who are instructing the people) to all the people, “Today is holy to your God YHWH, do not mourn, nor weep”: for all the people are weeping at their hearing the words of the Law.

Majority Standard Bible
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.

New American Bible
Then Nehemiah, that is, the governor, and Ezra the priest-scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people: “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not lament, do not weep!”—for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

NET Bible
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priestly scribe, and the Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of them, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law.

New Revised Standard Version
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

New Heart English Bible
Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn, nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Nehemiah, who is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

World English Bible
Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

Young's Literal Translation
And Nehemiah -- he is the Tirshatha -- saith (and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who are instructing the people) to all the people, 'To-day is holy to Jehovah your God, do not mourn, nor weep:' for all the people are weeping at their hearing the words of the law.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ezra Reads the Law
8So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read. 9Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”…

Cross References
James 4:9
Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom.

Deuteronomy 12:7
There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your households shall eat and rejoice in all you do, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 12:12
And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God--you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

Nehemiah 7:65
The governor ordered them not to eat the most holy things until there was a priest to consult the Urim and Thummim.

Nehemiah 7:70
Some of the heads of the families contributed to the project. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls, and 530 priestly garments.

Nehemiah 8:2
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.

Nehemiah 8:8
So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.


Treasury of Scripture

And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah 7:65,70
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim…

Nehemiah 10:1
Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

Ezra 2:63
And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.

Tirshatha.

Ezra 7:11
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

the Levites

Nehemiah 8:7,8
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…

2 Chronicles 15:3
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

2 Chronicles 30:22
And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

This day

Nehemiah 8:2
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

Leviticus 23:24
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Numbers 29:1-6
And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you…

mourn not

Deuteronomy 12:7,12
And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee…

Deuteronomy 16:11,14,15
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there…

Deuteronomy 26:14
I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me.

all the people

2 Kings 22:11,19
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes…

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Ezra Governor Heard Holy Levites Mourn Nehemiah Priest Scribe Taught Tirshatha Weep Wept Words
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Ezra Governor Heard Holy Levites Mourn Nehemiah Priest Scribe Taught Tirshatha Weep Wept Words
Nehemiah 8
1. The reverent manner of reading and hearing the law
9. They comfort the people
13. The eagerness of the people to hear and be instructed
16. They keep the feast of tabernacles














(9) Mourn not, nor weep.--The days of high festival were unsuitable for public and, as it were, objective sorrow. The Day of Atonement was coming for that; as also the special day of fasting and covenant, which was already in the plan of Nehemiah and Ezra.

Verse 9. - Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha. The term "Tirshatha" had previously been applied only to Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65), but it was applicable to any governor. The writer of the section, introducing Nehemiah here for the first time, naturally gives him a title of reverence. Nehemiah's modesty had made him content to describe himself by the general and comparatively weak term pechah. Said unto the people... Mourn not. A combined remonstrance is made against the open grief of the people by the civil and ecclesiastical rulers, and by the order of Levites. Mourning was unsuitable for a day of high festivity, the opening day of the civil year and of the sabbatical month, itself a sabbath or day of rest, and one to be kept by blowing of trumpets (Leviticus 23:24, 25; Numbers 29:1-6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Nehemiah
נְחֶמְיָ֣ה (nə·ḥem·yāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5166: Nehemiah -- 'Yah comforts', three Israelites

the governor,
הַתִּרְשָׁ֡תָא (hat·tir·šā·ṯā)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 8660: (a person title) governor

Ezra
וְעֶזְרָ֣א (wə·‘ez·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5830: Ezra -- 'help', three Israelites

the priest
הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

and scribe,
הַסֹּפֵ֡ר (has·sō·p̄êr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5608: To count, recount, relate

and the Levites
וְהַלְוִיִּם֩ (wə·hal·wî·yim)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 3881: Levites -- descendant of Levi

who were instructing
הַמְּבִינִ֨ים (ham·mə·ḇî·nîm)
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 995: To separate mentally, understand

the people
הָעָ֜ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

said
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to all of them,
לְכָל־ (lə·ḵāl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

“This
ה֣וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

day
הַיּ֤וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

is holy
קָדֹֽשׁ־ (qā·ḏōš-)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

to the LORD
לַיהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֔ם (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

mourn
תִּֽתְאַבְּל֖וּ (tiṯ·’ab·bə·lū)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 56: To bewail

or weep.”
תִּבְכּ֑וּ (tiḇ·kū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

For
כִּ֤י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the people
הָעָ֔ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

were weeping
בוֹכִים֙ (ḇō·w·ḵîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 1058: To weep, to bemoan

as they heard
כְּשָׁמְעָ֖ם (kə·šā·mə·‘ām)
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the words
דִּבְרֵ֥י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the Law.
הַתּוֹרָֽה׃ (hat·tō·w·rāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law


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OT History: Nehemiah 8:9 Nehemiah who was the governor and Ezra (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 8:8
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