Nehemia 8
1 wo katã wova ƒo ƒu ɖe ablɔ si dze ŋgɔ Tsigbo la me. Wogblɔ na agbalẽfiala Ezra be wòatsɔ Mose ƒe Segbalẽ, si Yehowa tsɔ na Israelviwo la vɛ.
and the people gathered together as one in the square beside the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had ordered Israel to follow.
2 Ale le ɣleti adrelia ƒe ŋkeke gbãtɔ dzi la, nunɔla Ezra tsɔ Segbalẽ la do goe ɖe ameha la ŋkume, ŋutsuwo, nyɔnuwo kple ame siwo katã ate ŋu ase nu gɔme la woe ƒo ƒu.
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly—men and women, and all those children who could listen and understand.
3 Exlẽe na wo kple ɣli tso agudzedze va se ɖe esime ɣe ɖo to. Edze ŋgɔ ablɔ si le Tsigbo la ŋgɔ le ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo kple ame siwo katã ate ŋu ase nu gɔme la ŋkume. Ameawo katã wonɔ to dzi esime wònɔ Segbalẽ la xlẽm.
He read from it in front of the square before the Water Gate from early morning till noon to everyone there, the men and the women and those who could understand. All the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law.
4 Agbalẽfiala Ezra de agba kɔkɔ aɖe si wowɔ kple ʋuƒo hena ŋkekea la dzi. Matitia, Sema, Anaya, Uria, Hilkia kple Maaseya, wonɔ tsitsre ɖe eƒe ɖusime, eye Pedaya, Misael, Malkiya, Hasum, Hasbadana, Zekaria kple Mesulam wonɔ tsitre ɖe eƒe miame.
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden stage built for this event. On his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 Ezra ʋu agbalẽ la. Amewo katã ate ŋu akpɔe, elabena etsi tsitre ɖe kɔkɔƒe, eye esi wòʋu agbalẽa la, ameawo katã tsi tsitre.
Ezra opened the book while they were all watching because the whole crowd could see him. When he opened it they all stood up.
6 Azɔ la, Ezra kafu Yehowa, Mawu gã la, eye ameawo katã gblɔ be, “Amen! Neva eme!” Wodo woƒe asiwo ɖe dziƒo, wobɔbɔ de ta agu, wotsyɔ mo anyi, eye wosubɔ Yehowa.
Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and everyone answered, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted up their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Yesua, Bani, Serebia, Yamin, Akub, Sabetai, Hodia, Maaseya, Kelita, Azaria, Yozabad, Hanan kple Pelaya, ame siwo nye Levitɔwo la, woxlẽ Se la na ameawo esi wonɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma.
Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were the Levites present, explained the Law to the people as they remained standing there.
8 Woxlẽ Mawu ƒe Segbalẽ la na wo, eye woɖe eme wòkɔ ale gbegbe be, ameawo te ŋu se nu si xlẽm wole la gɔme.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
9 Ale Gɔvina Nehemia, nunɔla kple agbalẽfiala Ezra kple Levitɔ siwo nɔ nu fiam ameawo la, gblɔ na wo katã be, “Egbee nye ŋkeke kɔkɔe na Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la, eya ta migaxa nu alo afa avi o,” elabena ameawo katã wonɔ avi fam esi wonɔ Se la me nyawo sem.
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people told them all, “This is a holy day to the Lord your God. Don't mourn or cry,” for everyone was crying as they heard the Law being read.
10 Nehemia gblɔ na wo be, “Miyi miaɖu nuɖuɖu nyui, miano aha vivi, eye miaɖo ɖe ɖe ame siwo mekpɔ naneke ɖa o. Esia nye ŋkeke kɔkɔe na míaƒe Aƒetɔ la. Migaxa nu o, elabena dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ ɖe Yehowa ŋu nye miaƒe ŋusẽ.”
Nehemiah went on, “Go and enjoy some good food and sweet drinks, and share some with those who don't have anything ready, because today is a special, holy day to our Lord. Don't be sad, for your strength comes from the Lord who makes you happy.”
11 Levitɔwo hã fa akɔ na ameawo be, “Miɖi ɖe eme, elabena egbee nye ŋkeke kɔkɔe. Migaxa nu o.”
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Ale ameawo kaka, woyi ɖadi ŋkekenyuinuwo ɖu, wono nu, eye woɖo nunanawo ɖe wo nɔewo kple hiãtɔwo. Enye dzidzɔŋkekenyui gã aɖe woɖu, elabena wokpɔ mɔnu se Mawu ƒe nya, eye wote ŋu se egɔme hã.
Then everyone went away to eat and drink, and to share their food. They celebrated happily because now they understood the Law as it had been explained to them.
13 Esi ŋu ke la, ƒometatɔwo, nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo ƒo ƒu, eye wona agbalẽfiala Ezra gaɖe Seawo me na wo tsitotsito.
The next day family leaders of all the people, as well as the priests and Levites, joined with Ezra the scribe to study the Law in more depth.
14 Wode dzesii le Seawo sɔsrɔ̃ me be, Yehowa de se to Mose dzi be, ele na Israelviwo be, woanɔ agbadɔwo me le Agbadɔmeŋkekenyuiwo me.
They discovered written in the Law the Lord had ordered to be observed through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in shelters during the festival of the seventh month.
15 Mawu gblɔ hã be, woaɖe gbeƒã le woƒe duwo katã me kple Yerusalem hã be, “Miyi toawo dzi, eye miatso amiti, gbemiti, mirteti, deti kple gboti ƒe alɔwo atu agbadɔwo, eye mianɔ wo me abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖi ene.”
They were to make an announcement in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go into the hills and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make shelters to live in, as the Law requires.”
16 Ale ameawo yi ɖatso atilɔawo hetu agbadɔwo ɖe gbadzaƒewo le xɔwo tame, ɖe xɔxɔnuwo, gbedoxɔ ƒe xɔxɔnu, ɖe gbadzaƒe si le Tsigbo la ŋgɔ kple ɖe gbadzaƒe si le Efraimgbo la ŋgɔ.
So they went out and brought back branches and made shelters for themselves on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God's Temple, and in the squares near the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate.
17 Ame siwo katã trɔ tso aboyome la tu agbadɔwo, eye wonɔ wo me. Tso Yosua, Nun ƒe vi ƒe ŋkekewo me va se ɖe gbe ma gbe la, Israelviwo megaɖu azã sia kpɔ abe ale si woɖui gbe ma gbe ene o, eye woƒe dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ gbã go.
Everyone who came back from exile made shelters and stayed in them. They had not celebrated like this since the time of Joshua, son of Nun. Everyone was very happy.
18 Gbe sia gbe, tso ŋkeke gbãtɔ dzi va se ɖe ŋkeke mamlɛtɔ dzi la, Ezra xlẽ Mawu ƒe Segbalẽ la na wo. Woɖu azã la ŋkeke adre, eye abe ale si wòle Sea nue ene la, woyɔ takpekpe le ŋkeke enyia gbe.
Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they met together in assembly, as the Law required.
