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.
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 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—men and women, and all those children 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.
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 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 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 Ezara akĩhingũra ibuku rĩu. Andũ othe nĩmamuonaga tondũ aarũgamĩte handũ hatũũgĩru. Na rĩrĩa aahingũrire ibuku, andũ othe makĩrũgama na igũrũ.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Magĩthoma kuuma Ibuku rĩa Watho wa Ngai, magĩtaũraga na magĩtaaragĩria wega nĩgeetha andũ acio mataũkĩrwo wega nĩ ũhoro ũcio wathomagwo.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
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.
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 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.”
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 Alawii makĩhooreria andũ acio othe, makĩmeeraga atĩrĩ, “Hoorerai tondũ ũyũ nĩ mũthenya mwamũre. Mũtikagĩe na kĩeha.”
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Ningĩ andũ othe magĩthiĩ makarĩe na makanyue, na makaheane irio imwe, na magakũngũĩre makenete nĩ ũndũ nĩmataũkĩirwo nĩ ciugo iria maarutĩtwo.
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 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.
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 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,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
