Nehemiah 8
1 All the people gathered as one man in the open area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded 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, both men and women, and all who could hear 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 He faced the open area in front of the Water Gate, and he read from it from early morning until midday, before men and women, and any 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 Then Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform which the people had made for the purpose. Standing beside him were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right side; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam were standing on his left side.
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 the sight of all the people, for he was standing above the people, and when 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 Ezra gave thanks to Yahweh, the great God, and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed their heads and worshiped Yahweh 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 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah—the Levites—helped the people understand the law, while the people remained in their place.
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 They read in the book, The Law of God, making it clear with interpretation and giving the meaning so the people understood the reading.
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, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when 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 said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and have something sweet to drink, and send some of it to one who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh 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 So the Levites made the people be quiet, saying, “Hush! for this day is holy. Do not be grieved.”
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 went their way to eat and to drink and to share food and to celebrate with great joy because they had understood the words that were 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 the leaders of the ancestors' families from all the people, the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe to gain insight from 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 They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded through Moses that the people of Israel should live in shelters during the festival 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 They should make a proclamation in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out into the hill country, and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtle, palms and shade trees, to make shelters, 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 So the people went out and brought the branches back and made themselves shelters, each on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, in the open area in front of the Water Gate, and in the square at 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 All the assembly of those who had returned from captivity made shelters and lived in them. For since the days of Joshua son of Nun to that day, the people of Israel had not celebrated this festival, and so their joy was very great.
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 Also day by day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival for seven days and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, in obedience to the decree.
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.
