Nehemiah 8
1 Ezra, who taught people the laws of Moses, [had a scroll on which] the laws of Moses were written. Those were the laws that Yahweh had commanded the Israeli people [to obey]. On October 8 of that year, all the people gathered together in the plaza/square that was close to the Water Gate. Men and women and [children] who [were old enough to] understand gathered together. Someone told Ezra to bring out that scroll.
到了七月，以色列人住在自己的城里。那时，他们如同一人聚集在水门前的宽阔处，请文士以斯拉将耶和华借摩西传给以色列人的律法书带来。
七月初一日，祭司以斯拉将律法书带到听了能明白的男女会众面前。
3 So he brought it out and read it to the people. He started reading it early in the morning and continued reading it until noontime. All the people listened carefully to the laws that were written on the scroll.
在水门前的宽阔处，从清早到晌午，在众男女、一切听了能明白的人面前读这律法书。众民侧耳而听。
4 Ezra stood on top of a high wooden platform that had been built just for that event. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. At his left side stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
文士以斯拉站在为这事特备的木台上。玛他提雅、示玛、亚奈雅、乌利亚、希勒家，和玛西雅站在他的右边；毗大雅、米沙利、玛基雅、哈顺、哈拔大拿、撒迦利亚，和米书兰站在他的左边。
5 Ezra stood on the platform above the people, where they could all see him. He opened the scroll; and as he did that, all the people stood up, [and they continued to stand, to show respect for God’s word].
以斯拉站在众民以上，在众民眼前展开这书。他一展开，众民就都站起来。
6 Then Ezra praised Yahweh, the great God, and all the people lifted up their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” Then they all bowed down with their foreheads touching the ground, and they worshiped Yahweh.
以斯拉称颂耶和华至大的 神；众民都举手应声说：“阿们！阿们！”就低头，面伏于地，敬拜耶和华。
7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, were all (Levites/men who worked in the temple). They explained the meaning of the laws of Moses to the people who were standing there.
耶书亚、巴尼、示利比、雅悯、亚谷、沙比太、荷第雅、玛西雅、基利他、亚撒利雅、约撒拔、哈难、毗莱雅，和利未人使百姓明白律法；百姓都站在自己的地方。
8 They also read from scrolls that contained the laws that God [gave to Moses], and they interpreted [into the Aramaic language] what they read, making the meaning clear so that the people could understand the meaning.
他们清清楚楚地念 神的律法书，讲明意思，使百姓明白所念的。
9 Then I, Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra, and the Levites who were interpreting what was being read to the people, said to them, “Yahweh your God considers that this day is very holy/sacred. So do not be sad or cry!” They said that because all the people were crying as they were listening to the laws of Moses.
省长尼希米和作祭司的文士以斯拉，并教训百姓的利未人，对众民说：“今日是耶和华—你们 神的圣日，不要悲哀哭泣。”这是因为众民听见律法书上的话都哭了；
10 Then I said to them, “Now go home and enjoy [some] good food and drink [some] sweet wine. And send some of it to people who do not have anything [to eat or drink]. This is a day that Yahweh considers sacred. Do not be sad! Yahweh will cause you to be joyful and make you strong.”
又对他们说：“你们去吃肥美的，喝甘甜的，有不能预备的就分给他，因为今日是我们主的圣日。你们不要忧愁，因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量。”
11 The Levites also caused the people to be quiet, saying “Be quiet [and do not cry], because this is a sacred day! Do not be sad!”
于是利未人使众民静默，说：“今日是圣日；不要作声，也不要忧愁。”
12 So the people went away, and they ate and drank, and they sent portions of food [to those who did not have any]. They celebrated very joyfully, because they had heard and understood what had been read to them.
众民都去吃喝，也分给人，大大快乐，因为他们明白所教训他们的话。
13 The next day, the leaders of the families and the priests and [other] descendants of Levi met with Ezra to study carefully the laws that Yahweh had given to Moses.
次日，众民的族长、祭司，和利未人都聚集到文士以斯拉那里，要留心听律法上的话。
14 While they were doing that, they realized that Yahweh had told Moses to command the Israeli people to live in shelters during that month, [to remember that their ancestors lived in shelters when they left Egypt].
他们见律法上写着，耶和华借摩西吩咐以色列人要在七月节住棚，
15 They also learned that they should proclaim in Jerusalem and in all the towns that the people should go to the hills and cut branches from olive trees [that they have planted] and from wild olive trees and from myrtle trees and palm trees and fig trees. They should make shelters from these branches, and live in those shelters during the festival, just as Moses wrote [that they should do].
并要在各城和耶路撒冷宣传报告说：“你们当上山，将橄榄树、野橄榄树、番石榴树、棕树，和各样茂密树的枝子取来，照着所写的搭棚。”
16 So the people went out [of the city] and cut branches and used them to build shelters. They built shelters on the [flat] roofs [of their houses], in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the temple, and in the plazas/squares close to the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate.
于是百姓出去，取了树枝来，各人在自己的房顶上，或院内，或 神殿的院内，或水门的宽阔处，或以法莲门的宽阔处搭棚。
17 All of the Israeli people who had returned from Babylon built shelters and lived in them [for one week]. The Israeli people had not celebrated that festival like that since the time that Joshua lived. And they were very joyful.
从掳到之地归回的全会众就搭棚，住在棚里。从嫩的儿子约书亚的时候直到这日，以色列人没有这样行。于是众人大大喜乐。
18 Every day during that week Ezra read to the people from the scroll that contained the laws that God [gave Moses]. Then on the eighth day, just as one of the laws of God said that they should do, they gathered together to end the celebration.
从头一天直到末一天，以斯拉每日念 神的律法书。众人守节七日，第八日照例有严肃会。
