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.
Watu wote walikusanyika kama mtu mmoja katika eneo la wazi mbele ya lango la maji. Wakamwomba Ezra mwandishi akilete Kitabu cha Sheria ya Musa, ambacho Bwana aliwaamuru Israeli.
Siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa saba, Ezra, kuhani, akaleta sheria mbele ya mkutano, wanaume na wanawake, na wote waliokuwa na uwezo wa kusikia na kuelewa.
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.
Akatizama eneo lililo wazi mbele ya lango la Maji, na akasoma toka asubuhi hadi adhuhuri, mbele ya wanaume na wanawake, na yeyote ambaye angeweza kuelewa. Na wote wakasikiliza kwa makini kitabu cha Sheria.
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.
Na Ezra, mwandishi, alisimama juu ya jukwaa la mbao ambalo watu walikuwa wametengeneza kwa kusudi hilo. Pembeni yake walisimama Matithia, Shema, Anaya, Uria, Hilkia na Maaseya, upande wake wa kuume; na Pedaya, Misbaeli, Malkiya, Hashumu, Hashbadani, Zekaria na Meshulamu walikuwa wamesimama upande wake wa kushoto.
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].
Ezra alifungua kitabu mbele ya watu wote, kwa kuwa alikuwa amesimama juu ya watu, na alipoufungua watu wote wakasimama.
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.
Ezra akamshukuru Bwana, Mungu mkuu; na watu wote wakainua mikono yao, wakajibu, “Amina! Amina!” Wakainamisha vichwa vyao, wakamwabudu Bwana kwa nyuso zao zikiwa chini.
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.
Yeshua, Bani, Sherebia, Yamini, Akubu, Shabethai, Hodai, Maaseya, Kelita, Azaria, Yozabidi, Hanania, Pelaya nao ni Walawi, waliwasaidia watu kuelewa sheria, watu wakakaa mahali pao.
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.
Wao walisoma katika kitabu, Sheria ya Mungu, wakaeleza wazi kwa tafsiri na kutoa maana ili watu waelewe yaliyosomwa.
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.
Nehemia, gavana, na Ezra kuhani, na mwandishi, na Walawi waliokuwa wakitafsiri kwa watu, wakawaambia watu wote, Siku hii ni takatifu kwa Bwana, Mungu wenu. Msiomboleze au kulia. Kwa kuwa watu wote walilia wakati waliposikia maneno ya sheria.
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.”
Nehemia akawaambia, 'Nendeni, mle kilichonona, mkate na maji ya kunywa, na mpelekeni mtu asiye na kitu, kwa maana siku hii ni takatifu kwa Bwana wetu. Msiwe na huzuni, kwa kuwa furaha ya Bwana ni nguvu zenu.
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!”
Basi Walawi wakawafanya watu kuwa na utulivu, wakisema, “Nyamazeni! kwa maana siku hii ni takatifu. Msiwe na huzuni.”
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.
Watu wote wakaenda kula na kunywa na kugawana chakula na kusherehekea kwa furaha kubwa kwa sababu walielewa maneno waliyohubiriwa.
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.
Siku ya pili viongozi wa nyumba za mababu kutoka kwa watu wote, makuhani na Walawi, wakakusanyika kwa Ezra, mwandishi ili kupata ufahamu kutoka kwenye maneno ya sheria.
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].
Wakaona imeandikwa katika sheria namna Bwana alivyomuamuru Musa kwamba wana wa Israeli waishi katika hema wakati wa sikukuu ya mwezi wa saba.
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].
Wanapaswa kutoa tamko katika miji yao yote, na huko Yerusalemu, wakisema, 'Nendeni nje kwenye nchi ya vilima, na mkalete matawi kutoka kwenye mzeituni mwitu, na matawi ya mihadsi, na matawi ya mitende na matawi ya miti minene ili kufanya vibanda vya muda kama ilivyoandikwa.”
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.
Basi watu wakatoka na kuleta matawi, wakajifanyia mahema, kila mmoja juu ya paa zao, katika ua zao, katika mahakama za nyumba ya Mungu, mahali pa wazi pa lango la Maji, na katika mraba wa lango la Efraimu.
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.
Kisha kusanyiko lote la wale waliorudi kutoka kifungoni wakafanya mahema na kukaa ndani yake. Kwa kuwa tangu siku za Yoshua, mwana wa Nuni hata siku hiyo, watu wa Israeli hawakuadhimisha sikukuu hii. Na furaha ilikuwa kubwa sana.
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.
Pia siku kwa siku, tangu siku ya kwanza hadi mwisho, Ezra alisoma kutoka Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu. Walifanya sikukuu kwa siku saba na siku ya nane kilikuwa na kusanyiko zuri, kwa utiifu wa amri.
