² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ Then he read from it, in front of the open square which was in front of the Water Gate, from ^[a]early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women, those who could understand; and ^[b]all the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law. ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a [large] wooden platform which they had constructed for this purpose. And beside him [on the platform] stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left.