Nehemia 8
1 Pada bulan tujuh orang Israel telah menetap di kotanya masing-masing. Pada tanggal satu bulan itu mereka semua berkumpul di Yerusalem, di halaman di depan Pintu Gerbang Air. Mereka meminta supaya Buku Hukum diambil oleh Imam Ezra, seorang ahli dalam Hukum yang diberikan TUHAN kepada Israel melalui Musa.
And the seventh month came: and the children of Israel were in their cities. And all the people were gathered together as one mall to the street which is before the water gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
2 Lalu Ezra membawa buku itu ke hadapan sidang yang terdiri dari laki-laki, wanita dan anak-anak yang cukup dewasa untuk mengerti.
Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, in the first day of the seventh month.
3 Kemudian, dari pagi sampai siang, Ezra membacakan Hukum itu kepada mereka. Mereka semua mendengarkan dengan penuh perhatian.
And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book.
4 Ezra berdiri di atas mimbar kayu yang telah dibuat untuk keperluan pertemuan itu. Di sebelah kanannya berdiri orang-orang ini: Matica, Sema, Anaya, Uria, Hilkia dan Maaseya; sedang di sebelah kirinya berdiri: Pedaya, Misael, Malkia, Hasum, Hasbadana, Zakharia dan Mesulam.
And Esdras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to speak upon, and there stood by him Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand: and on the left, Phadaia, Misael, and Melchia, and Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam.
5 Panggung tempat Ezra berdiri itu lebih tinggi dari orang-orang itu, sehingga mereka semua dapat melihatnya. Segera ia membuka buku itu, mereka semua berdiri.
And Esdras opened the book before all the people: for he was above all the people: and when he had opened it, all the people stood.
6 Ezra berkata, "Pujilah TUHAN, Allah yang besar!" Seluruh rakyat mengangkat tangan tinggi-tinggi dan menjawab, "Amin, amin!" Lalu mereka sujud menyembah Allah.
And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground.
7 Setelah itu mereka bangkit dan berdiri di tempat masing-masing, sementara sejumlah orang Lewi menerangkan Hukum itu kepada mereka. Orang-orang Lewi itu ialah: Yesua, Bani, Serebya, Yamin, Akub, Sabetai, Hodia, Maaseya, Kelita, Azarya, Yozabad, Hanan dan Pelaya.
Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sephtai, Odia, Maasia, Celtia, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law: and the people stood in their place.
8 Mereka menterjemahkan Hukum Allah itu bagian demi bagian serta menjelaskannya sehingga rakyat dapat mengerti bacaan itu.
And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.
9 Mendengar pembacaan Hukum itu, rakyat menjadi sangat terharu, lalu menangis. Maka gubernur Nehemia dan Imam Ezra ahli Hukum itu, serta orang-orang Lewi yang menerangkan Hukum itu, mengatakan kepada seluruh rakyat demikian, "Hari ini hari yang khusus bagi TUHAN Allahmu, jadi jangan bersedih atau menangis.
And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Sekarang pulanglah; makanlah dan minumlah dengan gembira. Berilah sebagian dari makanan dan anggurmu kepada mereka yang berkekurangan. Hari ini hari yang khusus bagi Tuhan kita, jadi jangan bersusah. Kegembiraan yang diberikan TUHAN kepada kalian akan menguatkan kalian."
And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.
11 Juga orang-orang Lewi menenangkan rakyat dan berkata berulang-ulang, "Jangan bersedih pada hari yang khusus ini."
And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.
12 Maka pulanglah seluruh rakyat untuk makan dan minum serta membagi-bagikan makanan kepada orang-orang lain. Mereka bergembira karena telah mengerti arti bacaan yang mereka dengar itu.
So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.
13 Besoknya berkumpullah semua kepala kaum, para imam dan orang-orang Lewi, lalu pergi kepada Ezra untuk mempelajari ajaran-ajaran Hukum TUHAN.
And on the second day the chiefs of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Esdras the scribe, that he should interpret to them the words of the law.
14 Mereka mendapati bahwa di dalam Hukum yang diberikan TUHAN melalui Musa, TUHAN menyuruh umat Israel tinggal di dalam pondok-pondok darurat selama pesta Pondok Daun.
And they found written in the law, that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in tabernacles, on the feast, in the seventh month:
15 Sebab itu di seluruh Yerusalem di kota-kota dan di desa-desa, mereka mengumumkan perintah ini, "Pergilah ke pegunungan dan ambillah dahan-dahan pohon cemara, zaitun, pohon minyak, palma dan pohon-pohon lain untuk membuat pondok sesuai dengan peraturan di dalam Buku Hukum."
And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.
16 Lalu pergilah rakyat mengambil dahan-dahan itu. Mereka semua membuat pondok-pondok pada atap-atap datar di atas rumah mereka, di halaman rumahnya, di halaman depan Rumah TUHAN, di lapangan dekat Pintu Gerbang Air dan di lapangan dekat Pintu Gerbang Efraim.
And the people went forth, and brought. And they made themselves tabernacles every man on the top 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.
17 Seluruh rakyat yang telah pulang dari pembuangan itu membuat pondok-pondok itu, lalu tinggal di situ. Inilah pertama kali hal itu dilakukan sejak zaman Yosua anak Nun, maka semuanya senang dan bahagia.
And all the assembly of them that were returned from the captivity, made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue the son of Nun the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.
18 Tujuh hari lamanya mereka berpesta. Tiap-tiap hari bagian-bagian buku Hukum Allah dibacakan oleh Ezra. Pada hari yang kedelapan diadakan upacara penutupan, sesuai dengan peraturan Hukum.
And he read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day till the last, and they kept the solemnity seven days, and in the eighth day a solemn assembly according to the manner.
