Nehemia 8
1 Na rĩrĩ, mweri wa mũgwanja wagĩkinya-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli magĩkorwo maatũũrĩte thĩinĩ wa matũũra mao. Nao andũ othe makĩũngana marĩ ta mũndũ ũmwe kĩhaaro-inĩ kĩrĩa kĩarĩ mbere ya Kĩhingo kĩa Maaĩ. Nao makĩĩra Ezara ũrĩa mwandĩki-marũa arute Ibuku rĩrĩa rĩa Watho wa Musa ũrĩa Jehova aathĩte andũ a Isiraeli.
At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa mũgwanja, Ezara ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai agĩtwara ibuku rĩu rĩa Watho mbere ya kĩũngano kĩu kĩonganĩte kĩa arũme na andũ-a-nja, na arĩa angĩ othe mangĩahotire gũtaũkĩrwo nĩ ũhoro ũcio.
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
3 Agĩthoma ibuku rĩu aanĩrĩire kuuma rũciinĩ nginya mĩaraho, angʼetheire kĩhaaro kĩrĩa kĩarĩ mbere ya Kĩhingo kĩa Maaĩ, arĩ mbere ya arũme, na andũ-a-nja, na andũ arĩa angĩ mangĩahotire gũtaũkĩrwo nĩ ũhoro ũcio. Nao andũ othe magĩtega matũ, magĩthikĩrĩria ciugo cia Ibuku rĩa Watho.
So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ezara ũrĩa mwandĩki-marũa aarũgamĩte igũrũ rĩa gĩtara kĩa mbaũ kĩrĩa gĩakĩtwo nĩ ũndũ wa ũndũ ũcio kĩũmbe. Mwena wake wa ũrĩo haarũgamĩte Matithia, na Shema, na Anaia, na Uria, na Hilikia, na Maaseia, naguo mwena wa ũmotho hakarũgama Pedaia, na Mishaeli, na Malikija, na Hashumu, na Hashibadana, na Zekaria, na Meshulamu.
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 Ezara akĩhingũra ibuku rĩu. Andũ othe nĩmamuonaga tondũ aarũgamĩte handũ hatũũgĩru. Na rĩrĩa aahingũrire ibuku, andũ othe makĩrũgama na igũrũ.
Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 Ezara akĩgooca Jehova, Ngai ũrĩa mũnene; nao andũ othe makĩoya moko mao na igũrũ makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ameni! Ameni!” Magĩcooka makĩinamĩrĩra, makĩhooya Jehova maturumithĩtie mothiũ mao thĩ.
Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Nao Alawii, na nĩo Jeshua, na Bani, na Sherebia, na Jamini, na Akubu, na Shabethai, na Hodia, na Maaseia, na Kelita, na Azaria, na Jozabadu, na Hanani, na Pelaia, makĩruta andũ ũhoro wa Watho, andũ acio marũgamĩte o hau.
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.
8 Magĩthoma kuuma Ibuku rĩa Watho wa Ngai, magĩtaũraga na magĩtaaragĩria wega nĩgeetha andũ acio mataũkĩrwo wega nĩ ũhoro ũcio wathomagwo.
So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.
9 Ningĩ Nehemia ũrĩa barũthi wa kũu na Ezara mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mwandĩki-marũa hamwe na Alawii arĩa maarutaga andũ, makĩĩra andũ acio othe atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũyũ wa ũmũthĩ nĩmwamũrĩre Jehova Ngai wanyu. Mũtigaacakaye kana mũrĩre.” Nĩgũkorwo andũ acio othe nĩmarĩraga maigua ciugo cia Watho ũcio.
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
10 Nehemia akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi mũgekenie na irio iria njega, na mũnyue indo irĩ mũrĩo, na indo icio imwe mũhe arĩa matarĩ na kĩndũ mathondekeirwo. Mũthenya wa ũmũthĩ nĩmwamũrĩre Mwathani witũ. Mũtikagĩe na kĩeha, nĩgũkorwo gĩkeno kĩa Jehova nĩkĩo hinya wanyu.”
Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 Alawii makĩhooreria andũ acio othe, makĩmeeraga atĩrĩ, “Hoorerai tondũ ũyũ nĩ mũthenya mwamũre. Mũtikagĩe na kĩeha.”
And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”
12 Ningĩ andũ othe magĩthiĩ makarĩe na makanyue, na makaheane irio imwe, na magakũngũĩre makenete nĩ ũndũ nĩmataũkĩirwo nĩ ciugo iria maarutĩtwo.
Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
13 Mũthenya wa keerĩ wa mweri, atongoria a nyũmba ciothe, marĩ hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii, makĩũngana harĩ Ezara ũcio mwandĩki-marũa nĩguo mathikĩrĩrie ciugo cia Watho.
On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.
14 Nao magĩkora kwandĩkĩtwo watho-inĩ ũrĩa Jehova aathanĩte na kanua ka Musa, atĩ andũ a Isiraeli maikarage thĩinĩ wa ithũnũ hĩndĩ ya gĩathĩ kĩa mweri wa mũgwanja,
And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
15 na atĩ maanagĩrĩre na mahunjagie ũhoro ũyũ matũũra-inĩ mao o na kũu Jerusalemu makiugaga atĩrĩ: “Thiĩi kũu bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma mũrehe honge cia mĩtamaiyũ ya mĩgũnda na ya gĩthaka, na cia mĩhandathi, na cia mĩkĩndũ, o na cia mĩtĩ ya kĩĩruru cia gwaka ithũnũ,” o ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo.
So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ makiumagara, makĩrehe honge, makĩĩakĩra ithũnũ igũrũ rĩa nyũmba ciao o na nja ciao, na nja cia nyũmba ya Ngai, na kĩhaaro-inĩ kĩrĩa kĩarĩ Kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa Maaĩ, na kĩrĩa kĩarĩ Kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa Efiraimu.
And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the court of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.
17 Andũ arĩa othe maacookete kuuma kũrĩa maatwarĩtwo maatahwo makĩĩakĩra ithũnũ, magĩikara thĩinĩ wacio. Kuuma matukũ ma Joshua mũrũ wa Nuni nginya mũthenya ũcio, andũ a Isiraeli matiakoretwo makũngũĩire gĩathĩ kĩu ta ũguo. Nakĩo gĩkeno kĩao kĩarĩ kĩnene mũno.
The whole assembly who had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.
18 Mũthenya o mũthenya, kuuma mũthenya wa mbere nginya wa mũthia, Ezara nĩathomaga Ibuku rĩa Watho wa Ngai. Nao nĩmakũngũĩire gĩathĩ kĩu mĩthenya mũgwanja, na mũthenya wa kanana, kũringana na watho, gũkĩgĩa na kĩũngano.
Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.
