Nehemiah 8
1 At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
Pea naʻe fakakātoa fakataha ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻo hangē ko e tangata pē taha ʻi he hala lahi ʻaia naʻe hangatonu ki he matapā vai: pea naʻa nau lea kia Esela ko e tangata tohi ke ʻomi ʻae tohi ʻoe fono ʻa Mōsese, ʻaia naʻe fekau ʻe Sihova ki ʻIsileli.
2 On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
Pea naʻe ʻomi ʻe Esela ko e tangata tohi ʻae fono ki he ʻao ʻoe fakataha ʻoe kau tangata mo e kau fefine, pea mo kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe faʻa fanongo mo e loto ʻilo, ʻi he ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻi hono fitu ʻoe māhina.
3 So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Pea naʻa ne lau ʻe ia ʻi ai ʻi he hala ʻaia naʻe hangatonu ki he matapā vai mei he pongipongi ki he hoʻatā, ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kau tangata mo e kau fefine, mo kinautolu naʻe ʻilo hono ʻuhinga; pea naʻe fanongo ʻe he kakai kotoa pē ki he tohi ʻoe fono.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
Pea naʻe tuʻu ʻa Esela ko e tangata tohi ki he tuʻunga ʻakau, ʻaia naʻa nau ngaohi ki he meʻa ko ia: pea naʻe tuʻu mo ia ʻa Matitia, mo Sema, mo ʻAnaia, mo Ulisa, mo Hilikia, mo Maaseia ʻi hono nima toʻomataʻu; pea ʻi hono toʻohema, ko Pitaia, mo Misaeli, mo Melikia, mo Hasumi, mo Hasipatana, mo Sakalia, mo Mesulami.
5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.
Pea naʻe folahi ʻe Esela ʻae tohi ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai kotoa pē: (he naʻe māʻolunga ia ʻi he kakai kotoa pē; ) pea ʻi heʻene folahi ia, naʻe tuʻu hake ai ʻae kakai kotoa pē:
6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
“Pea naʻe fakafetaʻi ʻe Esela kia Sihova, ko e ʻOtua lahi.” Pea naʻe tali ʻe he kakai kotoa pē, “ʻEmeni, ʻEmeni,” ʻo hiki hake honau nima: pea naʻa nau punou hifo honau ʻulu, ʻo hū kia Sihova mo honau mata ki he kelekele.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.
Pea ko Sesua foki mo Pani, mo Selepea, mo Samini, mo ʻAkupi, mo Sapitei, mo Hotisa, mo Maaseia, mo Kilita, mo ʻAsalia, mo Sosapati, mo Hanani, mo Pelaia, mo e kau Livai, naʻa nau ako ki he kakai ke nau ʻilo ʻae fono pea naʻe tutuʻu ʻae kakai ʻi honau potu:
8 So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.
Ko ia naʻa nau lau fakapatonu ʻi he tohi ʻi he fono ʻae ʻOtua, mo fakamatala hono ʻuhinga, pea akonakiʻi ʻakinautolu ke ʻilo hono ʻuhinga ʻoe lau.
9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
Pea ko Nehemaia, ʻaia ko e ʻeiki pule, mo Esela ko e taulaʻeiki mo e tangata tohi, mo e kau Livai ʻaia naʻe akonakiʻi ʻae kakai, naʻa nau lau ki he kakai kotoa pē, “ʻOku māʻoniʻoni ʻae ʻaho ni kia Sihova ko homou ʻOtua: ʻoua naʻa mou mamahi, pe tangi. He naʻe tangi ʻae kakai kotoa pē, ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he ngaahi lea ʻoe fono.”
10 Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kiate kinautolu, “ʻAlu ʻi homou hala, kai ʻae ngako, pea inu ʻae meʻa melie, pea fekau ke ʻave ʻae ngaahi ʻinasi kiate kinautolu ʻaia naʻe ʻikai teuteu ha meʻa ʻe taha ki ai: he ʻoku māʻoniʻoni ʻae ʻaho ni ki hotau ʻOtua: pea ʻoua naʻa mou loto mamahi: he ko e fiefia ʻa Sihova ko homou mālohi.”
11 And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”
Pea naʻe lolomi ʻe he kau Livai ʻae kakai kotoa pē, ʻo pehē, “Mou longo pe, he ʻoku māʻoniʻoni ʻae ʻaho ni: pea ʻoua foki naʻa mou mamahi.”
12 Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻi honau hala ke kai, mo inu, pea ke feʻaveʻaki ʻae ngaahi ʻinasi, pea ke fai ʻae fiefia lahi, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻenau ʻilo hono ʻuhinga ʻoe ngaahi lea naʻe fakapapau kiate kinautolu.
13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.
Pea naʻe fakakātoa fakataha ʻi hono ua ʻoe ʻaho ʻae kau tuʻukimuʻa ʻi he mātuʻa ʻoe kakai, mo e kau taulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, kia Esela ko e tangata tohi, ʻio, ke nau ʻilo hono ʻuhinga ʻoe ngaahi lea ʻoe fono.
14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
Pea naʻa nau ʻilo kuo tohi ʻi he fono ʻaia naʻe fekau ʻe Sihova ʻia Mōsese, ʻo pehē ʻe nofo ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he ngaahi fale fehikitaki ʻi he kātoanga ʻo hono fitu ʻoe māhina:
15 So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
Pea ke nau fakahā mo fanongonongo ʻi heʻenau ngaahi kolo, pea ʻi Selūsalema, ʻo pehē, “Mou ʻalu atu ki he moʻunga, pea fetuku mei ai ʻae ngaahi ʻuluʻi ʻolive, mo e ʻuluʻi paini, mo e ngaahi maile, mo e ngaahi vaʻa ponga, mo e ngaahi vaʻa ʻakau matolutolu, ke ngaohiʻaki ʻae ngaahi falefehikitaki, ʻo hangē ko ia kuo tohi.”
16 And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the court of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.
Ko ia naʻe ʻalu atu ai ʻae kakai, ʻo fetuku ia, pea naʻe ngaohi ʻaki ʻae ngaahi tuʻu fale, ʻo taki taha ki he tuʻa fale ʻo hono fale, pea ʻi honau ngaahi loto ʻā, pea mo e lotoʻā ʻoe fale ʻoe ʻOtua, pea ʻi he hala lahi ʻoe matapā vai, pea ʻi he hala lahi ʻoe matapā ʻo ʻIfalemi.
17 The whole assembly who had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.
Pea ko e fakataha kotoa pē ʻokinautolu naʻe toe haʻu mei he pōpula, naʻa nau ngaohi honau ngaahi tuʻu fale, pea nofo ʻi he malu ʻoe ngaahi tuʻu fale: he ʻoku talu mei he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Siosiua ko e foha ʻo Nuni ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ko ia naʻe ʻikai fai pehē ʻe he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli. Pea naʻe ʻi ai ʻae fiefia lahi ʻaupito.
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.
Pea naʻa ne lau ʻi he tohi ʻoe fono ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi he ʻaho hokohoko pe, mei he ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ki mui. Pea naʻa nau fai ʻae kātoanga ʻi he ʻaho ʻe fitu; pea ʻi hono valu ʻoe ʻaho naʻe ʻi ai ʻae fakakātoa molumalu, ʻo fakatatau mo hono anga.
