The reading day by day of the book of the law of God was in accordance with the instructions in Deut 31.11. Day by day may be expressed in various ways in English: “every day” (Good News Translation), “each day,” or “daily.” Other languages have comparable patterns to express the daily repetition of an activity; for example, “days one one.”

From the first day to the last day refers to the seven days of the festival.

He read: The text does not specify which person did the reading. New International Version understands the reference to be to Ezra. Good News Translation, on the other hand, retains an indefinite subject and renders this phrase as “they read.” Revised English Bible has the passive form “was read.” This is based on an emendation of the Hebrew text which assumes that the last reference to Ezra in the text is too far removed from he to be its antecedent. French translations use the indefinite pronoun on similar to the English “someone read.”

They kept the feast: An appropriate receptor language expression may be used here, such as “they held the feast” or “they ate the feast.”

Seven days; and on the eighth day: In languages where length of time is counted by nights, translators need to be careful that their translation does not miscount the number of days here. In some cultures calculation of time is by weeks that may be based on market days. It is preferable here to retain the reference to days and avoid the apparently easier reference to a week’s time. The reader of the Hebrew text will notice the repetition in this and the preceding verse of the Hebrew word yom (“day”).

The festival closed with a solemn assembly. The Hebrew word translated solemn assembly literally means “stopping of work,” and refers to a closing ceremony in which no work is done for the whole day. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible therefore translates “a closing assembly.”

According to the ordinance: The Hebrew word rendered ordinance is mishpat. Nouvelle version Segond révisée translates “according to the rule,” and Bible en français courant says “according to the established rule.” Good News Translation makes it explicit that this was according to the Law (see Lev 23.36; Num 29.35).

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .