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.
y el pueblo se reunió como uno solo en la plaza junto a la Puerta del Agua. Le dijeron a Esdras el escriba que sacara el Libro de la Ley de Moisés, que el Señor había ordenado seguir a Israel.
El primer día del séptimo mes, el sacerdote Esdras llevó la Ley ante la asamblea, hombres y mujeres, y todos los niños que podían escuchar y entender.
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.
Leyó la Ley delante de la plaza de la Puerta del Agua, desde la mañana hasta el mediodía, a todos los que estaban allí, a los hombres y a las mujeres y a los que podían entender. Todo el pueblo escuchaba atentamente el Libro de la Ley.
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.
El escriba Esdras estaba de pie en un alto escenario de madera construido para este evento. A su derecha estaban Matatías, Sema, Anaías, Urías, Hilcías y Maasías, y a su izquierda Pedaías, Misael, Malquías, Hasum, Hash-badana, Zacarías y Mesulam.
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].
Esdras abrió el libro mientras todos lo miraban porque toda la multitud podía verlo. Cuando lo abrió, todos se pusieron de pie.
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.
Esdras alabó al Señor, el gran Dios, y todos respondieron: “¡Amén! Amén!” mientras levantaban las manos. Luego se inclinaron y adoraron al Señor con el rostro en el suelo.
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.
Jesúa, Baní, Serebías, Jamín, Acub, Sabetai, Hodías, Maasías, Kelita, Azarías, Jozabad, Hanán y Pelaías, que eran los levitas presentes, explicaron la Ley al pueblo mientras éste permanecía de pie.
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.
Ellos leyeron del Libro de la Ley de Dios, aclarando el significado para que el pueblo pudiera entender lo que decía.
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.
Entonces el gobernador Nehemías, el sacerdote y escriba Esdras y los levitas que enseñaban al pueblo les dijeron a todos: “Este es un día santo para el Señor, vuestro Dios. No lloren ni se lamenten”, porque todos lloraban al oír la lectura de la Ley.
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.”
Nehemías continuó diciendo: “Vayan y disfruten de buena comida y bebidas dulces, y compartan con los que no tienen nada preparado, porque hoy es un día especial y santo para nuestro Señor. No estén tristes, porque su fuerza viene del Señor, que los hace felices”.
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!”
También los levitas calmaban a todos, diciéndoles: “¡No lloren! Este es un día santo y no deben estar tristes”.
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.
Entonces todos se fueron a comer y a beber, y a compartir su comida. Celebraron con alegría porque ahora entendían la Ley tal como se les había explicado.
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.
Al día siguiente, los jefes de familia de todo el pueblo, así como los sacerdotes y los levitas, se reunieron con el escriba Esdras para estudiar la Ley con mayor profundidad.
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].
Descubrieron que en la Ley que el Señor había ordenado observar por medio de Moisés, estaba escrito que los israelitas debían vivir en refugios durante la fiesta del séptimo mes.
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].
Debían hacer un anuncio en todas sus ciudades y en Jerusalén, diciendo: “Vayan al monte y traigan ramas de olivo, de acebuche, de mirto, de palma y de otros árboles frondosos, para hacer refugios para vivir, como lo exige la Ley”.
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.
Así que salieron y trajeron ramas y se hicieron refugios en los tejados de sus casas, en sus patios, en los patios del Templo de Dios y en las plazas cercanas a la Puerta del Agua y a la Puerta de Efraín.
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.
Todos los que volvieron del exilio hicieron refugios y se quedaron en ellos. No habían celebrado así desde los tiempos de Josué, hijo de Nun. Todos estaban muy contentos.
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.
Esdras leyó del Libro de la Ley de Dios todos los días, desde el primero hasta el último. Los israelitas celebraron la fiesta durante siete días, y el octavo día se reunieron en asamblea, como exigía la Ley.
