all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given to Israel.
Then the whole assembly of Judah with the priests and Levites, the whole assembly that came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the land of Israel, and those who were living in Judah, rejoiced.
King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep, goats, and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many.
At that time Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel #– #all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites #– #in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, that is, Zion.
‘Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.’
The priest who performs the cleansing will place the person who is to be cleansed, together with these offerings, before the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting.