What does Nehemiah 9:3 mean?

They stayed standing where they were for about a quarter of the day, listening to the reading from the book of God's Law. For another quarter of the day, they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. Nehemiah 9:3 - Modern Text Bible

(The people spent hours listening to scripture, then just as long confessing and worshiping. This was a deep, honest time of turning back to God.)