1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. 2And 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.8.2 that…: Heb. that understood in hearing 3And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.8.3 from…: Heb. from the light 4And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.8.4 pulpit…: Heb. tower of wood 5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:8.5 sight: Heb. eyes 6And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7Also 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. 8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
9¶ 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.8.9 the Tirshatha: or, the governor 10Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. 11So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. 12And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.
13¶ And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.8.13 to understand…: or, that they might instruct in the words of the law 14And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:8.14 by: Heb. by the hand of 15And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
16¶ So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. 17And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.8.18 a solemn…: Heb. a restraint
1Anthu onse anasonkhana ngati munthu mmodzi pabwalo limene lili patsogolo pa Chipata cha Madzi. Iwo anawuza mlembi Ezara kuti abwere ndi buku la malamulo a Mose limene Yehova anapereka kwa Aisraeli.
2Choncho pa tsiku loyamba la mwezi wachisanu ndi chiwiri wansembe Ezara, anabwera ndi buku la malamulo ku msonkhano wa amuna, akazi ndi ana onse amene ankatha kumvetsa zinthu bwino. 3Choncho Ezara anawerenga bukulo atayangʼana bwalo la Chipata cha Madzi kuyambira mmawa mpaka masana pamaso pa amuna, akazi ndi onse amene ankamvetsa bwino zinthu. Ndipo anthu onse anatchera khutu kuti amve malamulowo.
4Mlembi Ezara anayimirira pa nsanja ya mitengo imene anthu anamanga chifukwa cha msonkhanowu. Ku dzanja lake lamanja kunayimirira Matitiya, Sema, Anaya, Uriya, Hilikiya ndi Maaseya, ndipo kudzanja lake lamanzere kunali Pedaya, Misaeli, Malikiya, Hasumu, Hasibadana, Zekariya ndi Mesulamu.
5Tsono Ezara anatsekula buku, akuona popeza anayima pa nsanja. Pamene anafutukula bukulo anthu onse anayimirira. 6Ezara anatamanda Yehova, Mulungu wamkulu, ndipo anthu onse anakweza manja awo ndi kuyankha kuti, “Ameni, ameni.” Pambuyo pake onse anaweramitsa pansi mitu yawo napembedza Yehova akanali chizolikire choncho.
7Anthuwo atayimiriranso Alevi awa: Yesuwa, Bani, Serebiya, Yamini, Akubu, Sabetayi, Hodiya, Maaseya, Kerita, Azariya, Yozabadi, Hanani ndi Pelaya anawathandiza kuti amvetse bwino malamulowo. 8Iwo anawerenga buku la malamulo a Mulungu momveka bwino ndi kutanthauzira mawuwo kuti anthu amvetse bwino zowerengedwazo.
9Tsono bwanamkubwa Nehemiya pamodzi ndi wansembe ndi mlembi Ezara komanso Alevi amene amaphunzitsa anthu anati kwa anthu onse, “Lero ndi tsiku lopatulika kwa Yehova Mulungu wanu. Musakhale ndi chisoni ndipo musalire.” Anayankhula choncho popeza anthu onse ankalira atamva mawu a buku la malamulo lija.
10Nehemiya anatinso, “Pitani, kachiteni phwando ku nyumba ndipo mukawagawireko ena amene alibe kanthu kalikonse popeza lero ndi tsiku lopatulika kwa Yehova. Musakhale ndi chisoni, pakuti chimwemwe cha Yehova ndiye mphamvu yanu.”
11Alevi anakhalitsa bata anthu onse powawuza kuti, “Khalani chete, pakuti lero ndi tsiku lopatulika ndipo musakhale ndi chisoni.”
12Anthu onse anachoka kupita kukadya ndi kumwa. Chakudya china anatumiza kwa anzawo. Choncho panali chikondwerero chachikulu popeza tsopano anali atamvetsa bwino mawu a Mulungu amene anawawerengera ndi kuwafotokozerawo.
13Mmawa mwake atsogoleri a mabanja pamodzi ndi ansembe ndi alevi anasonkhana kwa Ezara, mlembi wa malamulo kuti aphunzire mawu a malamulowo. 14Tsono anapeza kuti zinalembedwa mʼbuku la malamulo kuti Yehova analamula kudzera mwa Mose kuti Aisraeli azikhala mʼzithando pa nthawi yonse ya chikondwerero cha mwezi wachisanu ndi chiwiri. 15Choncho analengeza ndi kufalitsa mʼmizinda yawo yonse ndi mu Yerusalemu kuti, “Pitani ku phiri mukadule nthambi za mtengo wa olivi, za mtengo wa olivi wa kutchire, za mtengo wa mchisu, za mtengo wa mgwalangwa ndiponso za mitengo ina ya masamba, zomangira zithando monga zalembedweramu ndi kubwera nazo.”
16Choncho anthu anapita kukatenga nthambi ndipo aliyense anadzimangira misasa pa denga ya nyumba yake, mʼmabwalo awo, mʼmabwalo a Nyumba ya Mulungu, mʼbwalo la pa Chipata cha Madzi ndiponso mʼbwalo la pa Chipata cha Efereimu. 17Gulu lonse la anthu limene linabwera ku ukapolo linamanga misasa ndipo linakhala mʼmenemo. Kuyambira nthawi ya Yoswa mwana wa Nuni mpaka tsiku limenelo nʼkuti Aisraeli asanachitepo zimenezi. Choncho panali chimwemwe chachikulu.
18Tsiku ndi tsiku, kuyambira tsiku loyamba mpaka lomaliza, Ezara ankawerenga buku la malamulo a Mulungu. Anthu anachita chikondwerero masiku asanu ndi awiri. Pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chitatu panachitika msonkhano potsata buku la malamulo lija.
