Nehemaya 8
1 Ndị mmadụ niile zukọrọ dịka otu onye na mbara ala dị nʼỌnụ Ụzọ Ama Mmiri. Ha gwara Ezra onye nkuzi ka ọ weta akwụkwọ Mosis, nke Onyenwe anyị nyere ndị Izrel nʼiwu.
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 Ya mere, Ezra, onye nchụaja wepụtara akwụkwọ Iwu ahụ nʼụbọchị mbụ nke ọnwa asaa nʼihu mkpọkọta ahụ bụ nke ndị ikom na ndị inyom na onye ọbụla ga-aghọta ihe mejupụtara.
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 O chere ihu nʼỌnụ Ụzọ Ama Mmiri were oke olu gụọ ya site nʼụtụtụ ruokwa ehihie nʼihu ndị nwoke, ndị nwanyị na ndị ọzọ nwere ike ịghọta ihe o na-agụ. Mmadụ niile gekwara ntị na ngụpụta nke akwụkwọ iwu ahụ.
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 Ezra onye ode akwụkwọ, rigoro nʼelu ihe mgbakwasị ụkwụ ha mere maka nke a. Ndị guzo nʼaka nri ya bụ, Matitaia, Shema, Anaia, Ụraya, Hilkaya na Maaseia. Ndị guzo nʼaka ekpe ya bụkwa ndị a: Pedaia, Mishael, Malkija, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zekaraya na Meshulam.
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 meghere akwụkwọ ahụ mgbe mmadụ niile na-ahụzu ya nʼihi na o guzoro nʼebe dị elu mgbe ọ na-agụ ya. Mmadụ niile guzoro ọtọ mgbe ọ na-agụ ya.
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 Mgbe ahụ, Ezra gọziri Onyenwe anyị Chineke ukwu ahụ, mmadụ niile zakwara sị; “Amen! Amen!” Ha chịlịri aka ha abụọ elu, kpọọ isiala nye Onyenwe anyị.
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 Ndị Livayị aha ha bụ Jeshua, Bani, Sherebaya, Jamin, Akub, Shabetai, Hodia, Maaseia, Kelita, Azaraya, Jozabad, Hanan na Pelia, kuziri ndị mmadụ ihe dị nʼIwu mee ka ha ghọta ya dịka ha guzo nʼebe ahụ.
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 Ha gụpụtara site nʼakwụkwọ iwu Chineke ahụ, sụgharịa ya, kọwazie ọkpụrụkpụ okwu niile dị nʼihe a gụpụtara, mee ka ndị mmadụ ghọta ihe a na-agụpụta nke ọma.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
9 Mgbe ahụ, Nehemaya, onyeisi ọchịchị, na Ezra, ode akwụkwọ na onye nchụaja, na ndị Livayị ahụ na-atụziri ndị mmadụ ihe, gwara ndị ahụ niile sị: “Taa bụ ụbọchị dị nsọ nye Onyenwe anyị, Chineke unu. Unu erula ụjụ maọbụ bee akwa.” Nʼihi na ha niile na-akwa akwa mgbe ha na-ege ntị nʼokwu niile nke iwu ahụ.
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 Nehemaya gwakwara ha sị; “Laanụ nʼụlọ unu gaa mee mmemme oriri na ọṅụṅụ nyekwanụ ndị na-enweghị nke ha ga-eri. Ụbọchị taa dị nsọ nye Chineke anyị. Unu erukwala ụjụ, nʼihi na ọṅụ Onyenwe anyị bụ ike unu.”
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 Ndị Livayị mere ka ndị mmadụ ahụ nọrọ nwayọọ, na-asị, “Nọrọnụ nwayọọ, nʼihi na taa bụ ụbọchị dị nsọ, ọ bụghị ụbọchị iru ụjụ na anya mmiri.”
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Ya mere, ha niile lawara ị ga rie ma ṅụọ, na ikenye ndị ọzọ site nʼihe ha nwere. Ha gakwara ime mmemme nke oke ọṅụ, nʼihi na ha ghọtara okwu agwara ha.
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 Nʼụbọchị nke abụọ nke ọnwa ahụ, ndịisi ezinaụlọ niile na ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị, zukọrọ nʼebe Ezra, bụ onye nkuzi nọ, maka itinye uche nʼakwụkwọ iwu ahụ.
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 Mgbe ha na-agụ ya, ha chọpụtara ebe Onyenwe anyị gwara Mosis sị ya na ụmụ Izrel kwesiri ibi nʼụlọ ikwu mgbe ọbụla a na-eme mmemme ụlọ ikwu nke a ga-eme nʼọnwa ahụ.
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 O kwukwara na ha ga-ekwusa okwu a nʼobodo niile nke Juda na Jerusalem sị; “Gaanụ nʼala ugwu ugwu gbute alaka osisi oliv ụlọ, na alaka oliv ọhịa, na alaka osisi mietul, na alaka nkwụ, na alaka osisi ndị ọzọ na-enye ndo nke a ga-eji wuo ebe unu ga-ebi tutu ruo mgbe mmemme ahụ ga-agwụsị, dịka e dere ya nʼakwụkwọ iwu.”
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 Ya mere, ndị ahụ pụrụ gaa weta alaka osisi, jiri ha wuore onwe ha ụlọ ahịhịa ha ga-ebi nwa mgbe nta nʼelu ụlọ ha, na nʼogige ụlọ nke aka ha, nakwa nʼogige ụlọ Chineke, na mbara ala Ọnụ Ụzọ Ama Mmiri, na nʼakụkụ Ọnụ Ụzọ Ama Ifrem.
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 Ndị ahụ niile si na ndọta nʼagha lọta wuuru onwe ha ụlọ ikwu biri nʼime ya ụbọchị asaa ahụ niile e mere mmemme ahụ. Oke ọṅụ jupụtara obi mmadụ niile, nʼihi na site nʼoge Joshua nwa Nun ruo nʼoge a, o nwebeghị mgbe ụmụ Izrel mere mmemme a nʼụzọ dị otu a.
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 Ezra na-agụpụta site nʼakwụkwọ iwu Chineke kwa ụbọchị, site nʼụbọchị mbụ ruo nʼụbọchị ikpeazụ. Ha mere mmemme ahụ ụbọchị asaa ma nʼụbọchị nke asatọ ha nwere ọgbakọ ofufe mmechi dịka e dere ya nʼiwu.
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.
