Nehemiæ 8
1 et venerat mensis septimus filii autem Israhel erant in civitatibus suis congregatusque est omnis populus quasi vir unus ad plateam quae est ante portam Aquarum et dixerunt Ezrae scribae ut adferret librum legis Mosi quam praecepit Dominus Israheli
Ezra, who taught people the laws of Moses, [had a scroll on which] the laws of Moses were written. Those were the laws that Yahweh had commanded the Israeli people [to obey]. On October 8 of that year, all the people gathered together in the plaza/square that was close to the Water Gate. Men and women and [children] who [were old enough to] understand gathered together. Someone told Ezra to bring out that scroll.
2 adtulit ergo Ezras sacerdos legem coram multitudine virorum et mulierum cunctisque qui poterant intellegere in die prima mensis septimi
3 et legit in eo aperte in platea quae erat ante portam Aquarum de mane usque ad mediam diem in conspectu virorum et mulierum et sapientium et aures omnis populi erant erectae ad librum
So he brought it out and read it to the people. He started reading it early in the morning and continued reading it until noontime. All the people listened carefully to the laws that were written on the scroll.
4 stetit autem Ezras scriba super gradum ligneum quem fecerat ad loquendum et steterunt iuxta eum Matthathia et Sema et Ania et Uria et Helcia et Maasia ad dextram eius et ad sinistram Phadaia Misahel et Melchia et Asum et Asephdana Zaccharia et Mosollam
Ezra stood on top of a high wooden platform that had been built just for that event. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. At his left side stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 et aperuit Ezras librum coram omni populo super universum quippe populum eminebat et cum aperuisset eum stetit omnis populus
Ezra stood on the platform above the people, where they could all see him. He opened the scroll; and as he did that, all the people stood up, [and they continued to stand, to show respect for God’s word].
6 et benedixit Ezras Domino Deo magno et respondit omnis populus amen amen elevans manus suas et incurvati sunt et adoraverunt Deum proni in terram
Then Ezra praised Yahweh, the great God, and all the people lifted up their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” Then they all bowed down with their foreheads touching the ground, and they worshiped Yahweh.
7 porro Hiesue et Baani et Serebia Iamin Accub Septhai Odia Maasia Celita Azarias Iozabed Anam Phalaia Levitae 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, were all (Levites/men who worked in the temple). They explained the meaning of the laws of Moses to the people who were standing there.
8 et legerunt in libro legis Dei distincte et adposite ad intellegendum et intellexerunt cum legeretur
They also read from scrolls that contained the laws that God [gave to Moses], and they interpreted [into the Aramaic language] what they read, making the meaning clear so that the people could understand the meaning.
9 dixit autem Neemias ipse est Athersatha et Ezras sacerdos scriba et Levitae interpretantes universo populo dies sanctificatus est Domino Deo nostro nolite lugere et nolite flere flebat enim omnis populus cum audiret verba legis
Then I, Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra, and the Levites who were interpreting what was being read to the people, said to them, “Yahweh your God considers that this day is very holy/sacred. So do not be sad or cry!” They said that because all the people were crying as they were listening to the laws of Moses.
10 et dixit eis ite comedite pinguia et bibite mulsum et mittite partes ei qui non praeparavit sibi quia sanctus dies Domini est et nolite contristari gaudium enim Domini est fortitudo nostra
Then I said to them, “Now go home and enjoy [some] good food and drink [some] sweet wine. And send some of it to people who do not have anything [to eat or drink]. This is a day that Yahweh considers sacred. Do not be sad! Yahweh will cause you to be joyful and make you strong.”
11 Levitae autem silentium faciebant in omni populo dicentes tacete quia dies sanctus est et nolite dolere
The Levites also caused the people to be quiet, saying “Be quiet [and do not cry], because this is a sacred day! Do not be sad!”
12 abiit itaque omnis populus ut comederet et biberet et mitteret partes et faceret laetitiam magnam quia intellexerant verba quae docuerat eos
So the people went away, and they ate and drank, and they sent portions of food [to those who did not have any]. They celebrated very joyfully, because they had heard and understood what had been read to them.
13 et in die secundo congregati sunt principes familiarum universi populi sacerdotes et Levitae ad Ezram scribam ut interpretaretur eis verba legis
The next day, the leaders of the families and the priests and [other] descendants of Levi met with Ezra to study carefully the laws that Yahweh had given to Moses.
14 et invenerunt scriptum in lege praecepisse Dominum in manu Mosi ut habitent filii Israhel in tabernaculis in die sollemni mense septimo
While they were doing that, they realized that Yahweh had told Moses to command the Israeli people to live in shelters during that month, [to remember that their ancestors lived in shelters when they left Egypt].
15 et ut praedicent et divulgent vocem in universis urbibus suis et in Hierusalem dicentes egredimini in montem et adferte frondes olivae et frondes ligni pulcherrimi frondes myrti et ramos palmarum et frondes ligni nemorosi ut fiant tabernacula sicut scriptum est
They also learned that they should proclaim in Jerusalem and in all the towns that the people should go to the hills and cut branches from olive trees [that they have planted] and from wild olive trees and from myrtle trees and palm trees and fig trees. They should make shelters from these branches, and live in those shelters during the festival, just as Moses wrote [that they should do].
16 et egressus est populus et adtulerunt feceruntque sibi tabernacula unusquisque in domate suo et in atriis suis et in atriis domus Dei et in platea portae Aquarum et in platea portae Ephraim
So the people went out [of the city] and cut branches and used them to build shelters. They built shelters on the [flat] roofs [of their houses], in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the temple, and in the plazas/squares close to 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 Israhel usque ad diem illum et fuit laetitia magna nimis
All of the Israeli people who had returned from Babylon built shelters and lived in them [for one week]. The Israeli people had not celebrated that festival like that since the time that Joshua lived. And they were very joyful.
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 collectum iuxta ritum
Every day during that week Ezra read to the people from the scroll that contained the laws that God [gave Moses]. Then on the eighth day, just as one of the laws of God said that they should do, they gathered together to end the celebration.
