< Nehemiah 8 >
1 And all the people assembled as one man in the street that [was] before the water-gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
Bonke abantu basebebuthana njengamuntu munye egcekeni eliphambi kwesango lamanzi; bakhuluma kuEzra umbhali ukuletha ugwalo lomlayo kaMozisi, iNkosi eyayiwulaye uIsrayeli.
2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
UEzra umpristi wasewuletha umlayo phambi kwebandla, kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, laye wonke owaqedisisa ukuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
3 And he read therein before the street that [was] before the water-gate from the morning until mid-day, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people [were attentive] to the book of the law.
Wasebala kuwo phambi kwegceke eliphambi kwesango lamanzi kusukela emadabukakusa kwaze kwaba semini enkulu, phambi kwabesilisa labesifazana labaqedisisayo; lendlebe zabo bonke abantu zazingasegwalweni lomlayo.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, [and] Meshullam.
UEzra umbhali wasesima phezu kwendawo ephakemeyo yamapulanka ababeyenzele loludaba. Leceleni kwakhe kwakumi oMathithiya loShema loAnaya loUriya loHilikhiya loMahaseya ngakwesokunene sakhe; langakwesokhohlo sakhe oPhedaya, loMishayeli, loMalikiya, loHashuma, loHashibadana, uZekhariya, uMeshulamu.
5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people; ) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
UEzra wasevula ugwalo phambi kwamehlo abo bonke abantu; ngoba wayengaphezu kwabantu bonke; lapho eluvula, bonke abantu basukuma.
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with [their] faces to the ground.
UEzra waseyibusisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu basebephendula bathi: Ameni, ameni, ngokuphakamisa izandla zabo; basebekhothama, bayikhonza iNkosi ngobuso emhlabathini.
7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people [stood] in their place.
OJeshuwa, loBani, loSherebiya, uJamini, uAkubi, uShabethayi, uHodiya, uMahaseya, uKelita, uAzariya, uJozabadi, uHanani, uPelaya, lamaLevi basebesenza abantu baqedisise umlayo, abantu besendaweni yabo.
8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.
Basebebala egwalweni, emlayweni kaNkulunkulu, ngokucacileyo, bechasisa, bebenza bazwisise ekubaleni.
9 And Nehemiah, who [is] the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said to all the people, This day [is] holy to the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
UNehemiya owayengumbusi, lompristi uEzra umbhali, lamaLevi ayefundisa abantu, basebesithi ebantwini bonke: Lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu; lingalili njalo lingakhali inyembezi. Ngoba bonke abantu bakhala inyembezi lapho besizwa amazwi omlayo.
10 Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared: for [this] day [is] holy to our LORD: neither be ye sad; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Wasesithi kibo: Hambani, lidle okunonileyo, linathe okumnandi, lithumele izabelo kongalungiselwanga lutho; ngoba lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini yethu, njalo lingadabuki, ngoba intokozo yeNkosi ingamandla enu.
11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day [is] holy; neither be ye grieved.
AmaLevi asebathulisa bonke abantu esithi: Thulani, ngoba lolusuku lungcwele, lingadabuki.
12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Bonke abantu basebehamba ukuyakudla, lokunatha, lokuthumela izabelo, lokwenza intokozo enkulu, ngoba babewaqedisisile amazwi ababebazise wona.
13 And on the second day were assembled the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.
Langosuku lwesibili kwabuthana inhloko zaboyise zabo bonke abantu, abapristi, lamaLevi, kuEzra umbhali, ukuze baqedisise amazwi omlayo.
14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
Basebethola kubhaliwe emlayweni iNkosi eyayiwulayile ngesandla sikaMozisi ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahlale emadumbeni ngomkhosi ngenyanga yesikhombisa,
15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as [it is] written.
lokuthi bazwakalise bedlulise isimemezelo kuyo yonke imizi yabo laseJerusalema besithi: Phumelani entabeni lilethe ingatsha zezihlahla zemihlwathi, lengatsha zezihlahla zamafutha, lengatsha zezihlahla zamamiteli, lengatsha zamalala, lengatsha zezihlahla ezilamahlamvu aminyeneyo, ukwenza amadumba, njengokubhaliweyo.
16 So the people went forth, and brought [them], and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water-gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.
Basebephuma abantu, baziletha, bazenzela amadumba, ngulowo lalowo ephahleni lwakhe, lemagumeni abo, lemagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu, legcekeni lesango lamanzi, legcekeni lesango lakoEfrayimi.
17 And all the congregation of them that had returned from the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day, had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
Ibandla lonke lalabo ababebuyile ekuthunjweni basebesenza amadumba, bahlala emadumbeni. Ngoba kusukela ensukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kwaze kwaba yilolosuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli babengenzanga njalo. Kwasekusiba lentokozo enkulu kakhulu.
18 Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day [was] a solemn assembly, according to the manner.
Njalo usuku ngosuku kusukela osukwini lokuqala kwaze kwaba lusuku lokucina wabala egwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu. Bawenza-ke umkhosi insuku eziyisikhombisa; kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili kwaba lenhlangano enzulu, njengesimiso.