< Nehemiah 8 >
1 And all the people assembled themselues together, in the streete that was before the watergate, and they spake vnto Ezra the Scribe, that hee would bring the booke of ye Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
所有的人民,都一致聚集到水門前的廣場上,要求厄斯德拉經師,拿出上主命以色列當遵守的梅瑟法律書來。
2 And Ezra the Priest brought the Lawe before the Congregation both of men and women, and of all that coulde heare and vnderstand it, in the first day of the seuenth moneth,
厄斯德拉司祭便在七月一日,將法律書拿到會眾前,及男女和所有能聽懂的人面前,
3 And he read therein in the streete that was before the watergate (from the morning vntill the midday) before men and women, and them that vnderstoode it, and the eares of all the people hearkened vnto the booke of the Lawe.
在水門前的廣場上,從早晨到中午,在男女和所有能聽懂的人面前,宣讀了法律,所有的人民都側耳靜聽法律書。
4 And Ezra the Scribe stoode vpon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Vriiah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hande, and on his left hand Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
厄斯德拉經師站在為此特備的木台上,他右邊站著瑪提提雅、舍瑪、阿納雅、烏黎雅、希耳克雅和瑪阿色雅;他左邊有培達雅、米沙耳、瑪耳基雅、哈雄、哈協巴達納、則加黎雅、和默叔藍。
5 And Ezra opened the booke before all the people: for hee was aboue all the people: and when he opened it, all the people stoode vp.
厄斯德拉在眾目注視下展開了書,因他高立在眾人以上,他展開書時,眾人都立起來。
6 And Ezra praysed the Lord the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting vp their handes: and they bowed themselues, and worshipped the Lord with their faces toward the grounde.
厄斯德拉先讚頌了上主,偉大的天主,全民眾舉手回答說:「阿們,阿們! 」以後跪下,伏首至地,欽崇上主。
7 Also Ieshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Iamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Iozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Leuites caused the people to vnderstand the lawe, and the people stood in their place.
肋未人耶叔亞、巴尼、舍勒彼雅、雅明、阿谷布、沙貝泰、曷狄雅、瑪阿色雅、刻里達、阿匝黎雅、約匝巴得、哈南和培拉雅,為民眾講解法律,民眾立在原處不動。
8 And they read in the booke of the Lawe of God distinctly, and gaue the sense, and caused them to vnderstand the reading.
厄斯德拉讀一段天主的法律書,及做翻譯和解釋,如此民眾可以懂清所誦讀的。
9 Then Nehemiah (which is Tirshatha) and Ezra the Priest and scribe, and the Leuites that instructed the people, saide vnto all the people, This day is holie vnto ye Lord your God: mourne not, neither weepe: for all the people wept, whe they heard the words of the Lawe.
乃赫米雅省長和厄斯德拉司祭兼經師,並教導民眾的肋未人,向民眾說:「今天是上主你們天主的聖日,你們不可憂愁哭泣! 」因為全民眾聽了法律的話,都在哭泣。
10 He saide also vnto the, Go, and eate of the fat, and drinke the sweete, and send part vnto them, for whome none is prepared: for this day is holie vnto our Lord: be ye not sorie therefore: for the ioy of the Lord is your strength.
為此,乃赫米雅又向他們說:「你們應該去吃肥美的肉,喝甘甜的酒,且贈送一部份,給那些沒有預備的人,因為今天是吾主的聖日;你們不可憂愁,因為喜樂於上主,就是你們的力量。」
11 And the Leuites made silence throughout all the people, saying, Holde your peace: for the day is holy, be not sad therefore.
肋未人也安慰民眾說:「你們要安靜,因為今天是聖日,不應憂愁! 」
12 Then all the people went to eate and to drinke, and to send away part, and to make great ioy, because they had vnderstand the wordes that they had taught them.
民眾遂去吃喝,且贈送一部份給他人,大家異常歡樂,因為都明白了向他們所講的話。
13 And on the second day the chiefe fathers of all the people, the Priests and the Leuites were gathered vnto Ezra the scribe, that he also might instruct them in the wordes of the Lawe.
第二天,全民族的族長和司祭並肋未人,都聚集在厄斯德拉經師身旁,研究法律上的話。
14 And they found written in the Law, (that the Lord had commanded by Moses) that the children of Israel should dwel in boothes in the feast of the seuenth moneth,
發現法律上記載:上主曾藉梅瑟,命令以色列子民,在七月的慶節日,應住在帳棚內。
15 And that they shoulde cause it to bee declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and in Ierusalem, saying, Go forth vnto the mount, and bring oliue branches, and pine branches, and branches of myrtus, and palme branches, and branches of thicke trees, to make boothes, as it is written.
他們一聽說如此,遂在各城和耶路撒冷,宣佈這命令說:「你們上山去,取橄欖樹的枝葉、野橄欖樹的枝葉、長春樹的枝葉、棕樹的枝葉,和其他茂盛樹的枝葉,照經上所寫的,搭造帳棚。」
16 So the people went foorth and brought them, and made them boothes, euerie one vpon the roofe of his house, and in their courtes, and in the courtes of the house of God, and in the streete by the watergate, and in the streete of the gate of Ephraim.
民眾就去採了樹枝來,在屋頂上,院子裏,天主殿宇的庭院內,水門的廣場上,和厄弗辣因廣場上,搭了帳棚。
17 And all the Congregation of them that were come againe out of the captiuitie made boothes, and sate vnder the boothes: for since the time of Ieshua the sonne of Nun vnto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great ioy.
由充軍回來的全會眾,都搭造帳了棚,住在帳棚內;從農的兒子若蘇厄之日起,直到今日,以色列沒有舉行過如此的盛事,大家都非常歡樂。
18 And he read in the booke of the Lawe of God euery day, from the first day vnto the last day. and they kept the feast seuen dayes, and on the eight day a solemne assemblie, according vnto the maner.
從第一日直到最後一日,天天宣讀天主的法律書;七天之久過了慶節,第八天按規定舉行了盛會。