Nehemiæ 8
1 Et venerat mensis septimus: filii autem Israel erant in civitatibus suis. Congregatusque est omnis populus quasi vir unus ad plateam, quæ est ante portam aquarum: et dixerunt Esdræ scribæ ut afferret Librum legis Moysi, quam præceperat Dominus Israeli.
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 Attulit ergo Esdras sacerdos legem coram multitudine virorum et mulierum, cunctisque qui poterant intelligere, in die prima mensis septimi.
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 Et legit in eo aperte in platea quæ erat ante portam aquarum, de mane usque ad mediam diem, in conspectu virorum et mulierum, et sapientium: et aures omnis populi erant erectæ ad Librum.
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 Stetit autem Esdras scriba super gradum ligneum, quem fecerat ad loquendum: et steterunt iuxta eum Mathathias, et Semeia, et Ania, et Uria, et Helcia, et Maasia, ad dexteram eius: et ad sinistram, Phadaia, Misael, et Melchia, et Hasum, et Hasbadana, Zacharia, et Mosollam.
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 Et aperuit Esdras Librum coram omni populo: super universum quippe populum eminebat: et cum aperuisset eum, stetit omnis populus.
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 Et benedixit Esdras Domino Deo magno: et respondit omnis populus: Amen, Amen: elevans manus suas. et incurvati sunt, et adoraverunt Deum proni in terram.
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 Porro Iosue, et Bani, et Serebia, Iamin, Accub, Septhai, Odia, Maasia, Celita, Azarias, Iozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, Levitæ, silentium faciebant in populo ad audiendam legem: populus autem stabat in gradu suo.
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 Et legerunt in Libro legis Dei distincte, et aperte ad intelligendum: et intellexerunt cum legeretur.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
9 Dixit autem Nehemias (ipse est Athersatha) et Esdras sacerdos et scriba, et Levitæ interpretantes universo populo: Dies sanctificatus est Domino Deo nostro, nolite lugere, et nolite flere. Flebat enim omnis populus cum audiret verba legis.
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 Et dixit eis: Ite, comedite pinguia, et bibite mulsum, et mittite partes his, qui non præparaverunt sibi: quia sanctus dies Domini est, et nolite contristari: gaudium etenim Domini est fortitudo nostra.
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 Levitæ autem silentium faciebant in omni populo, dicentes: Tacete, quia dies sanctus est, et nolite dolere.
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Abiit itaque omnis populus ut comederet et biberet, et mitteret partes, et faceret lætitiam magnam: quia intellexerant verba, quæ docuerat eos.
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 Et in die secundo congregati sunt principes familiarum universi populi, Sacerdotes et Levitæ ad Esdram scribam, ut interpretaretur eis verba Legis.
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 Et invenerunt scriptum in Lege præcepisse Dominum in manu Moysi ut habitent filii Israel in tabernaculis, in die sollemni, mense septimo:
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 et ut prædicent, et divulgent vocem in universis urbibus suis, et in Ierusalem, dicentes: Egredimini in montem, et afferte frondes olivæ, et frondes ligni pulcherrimi, frondes myrti, et ramos palmarum, et frondes ligni nemorosi ut fiant tabernacula, sicut scriptum est.
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 Et egressus est populus, et attulerunt. Feceruntque sibi tabernacula unusquisque in domate suo, et in atriis suis, et in atriis domus Dei, et in platea portæ aquarum, et in platea portæ Ephraim.
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 Fecit ergo universa ecclesia eorum, qui redierant de captivitate, tabernacula, et habitaverunt in tabernaculis: non enim fecerant a diebus Iosue filii Nun taliter filii Israel usque ad diem illum. Et fuit lætitia magna nimis.
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 Legit autem in Libro legis Dei per dies singulos, a die primo usque ad diem novissimum. et fecerunt sollemnitatem septem diebus, et in die octavo collectam iuxta ritum.
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.
