UNehemiya 8
1 Kwathi sekuyinyanga yesikhombisa abako-Israyeli basebehlezi emadolobheni akibo. Bonke abantu babuthana ngangqondo yinye egcekeni elaliphambi kweSango laManzi. Bacela u-Ezra umbhali ukuthi alethe iNcwadi yoMthetho kaMosi, uThixo ayelaye ngawo ama-Israyeli.
And the seventh month arrived, and the children of Israel [were settled] in their cities; and all the people were gathered as one man to the broad place before the water-gate, and they told Esdras the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord commanded Israel.
2 Yikho kwathi ngelanga lokuqala lenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ezra umphristi wawuletha uMthetho phambi komhlangano, owawugcwele amadoda labafazi labo bonke ababelokuzwisisa.
So Esdras the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and every one who had understanding [was present] to listen, on the first day of the seventh month.
3 Wafunda kakhulu kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kwaze kwaba semini enkulu ekhangele egcekeni leSango laManzi phambi kwamadoda, labafazi labanye ababelokuzwisisa. Bonke abantu balalelisisa ukuzwa iNcwadi yoMthetho.
And he read in it from the time of sunrise to the middle of the day, before the men and the women; and they understood [it], and the ears of all the people [were attentive] to the book of the law.
4 U-Ezra umbhali wayemi phezu kwethala eliphakemeyo elalenziwe ngezigodo lenzelwe umkhosi lo. Eceleni kwakhe kwesokunene kwakumi uMathithiya, loShema, lo-Anaya, lo-Uriya, loHilikhiya, loMaseya; kwathi kwesokhohlo kunguPhedaya, loMishayeli, loMalikhija, loHashumi, loHashibhadana, loZakhariya loMeshulami.
And Esdras the scribe stood on a wooden stage, and there stood next to him Mattathias, and Samaeas, and Ananias, and Urias, and Chelcia, and Massia, on his right hand; and on his left Phadaeas, and Misael, and Melchias, and Asom, and Asabadma, and Zacharias, and Mesollam.
5 U-Ezra wayivula incwadi. Bonke abantu babembona ngoba wayemi ekuphakameni ngaphezu kwabo; kwathi lapho eyivula abantu basukuma.
And Esdras opened the book before all the people, for he was above the people; and it came to pass when he had opened it, [that] all the people stood.
6 U-Ezra wamdumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu omkhulu, kwathi bonke abantu baphendula baphakamisa izandla zabo bathi, “Ameni! Ameni!” Basebekhothama bekhonza uThixo bethe mbo ngobuso phansi.
And Esdras blessed the Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, and said, Amen, lifting up their hands: and they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their face to the ground.
7 AbaLevi ababalisa uJeshuwa, loBhani, loSherebhiya, loJamini, lo-Akhubi, loShabhethayi, loHodiya, loMaseya, loKhelitha, lo-Azariya, loJozabhadi, loHanani loPhelaya bafundisa abantu uMthetho abantu belokhu bemi khonapho.
And Jesus and Banaias and Sarabias instructed the people in the law, and the people [stood] in their place.
8 Babebala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaNkulunkulu, bewuchasisa baveze lokho okutshoyo ukuze abantu bakuzwisise lokho okwakubalwa.
And they read in the book of the law of God, and Esdras taught, and instructed them distinctly in the knowledge of the Lord, and the people understood [the law] in the reading.
9 Kwasekusithi uNehemiya umbusi, lo-Ezra umphristi lombhali, kanye labaLevi ababefundisa abantu bathi kubo bonke, “Lelilanga lingcwele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Lingalili kumbe likhale.” Kwakungoba bonke babekhala lapho babelalele amazwi oMthetho.
And Neemias, and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites, and they that instructed the people, spoke and said to all the people, It 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 UNehemiya wathi, “Hambani liyozitika ngokudla okumnandi lokunathwayo okumnandi, okunye likuthumele labo abangelakho okulungisiweyo. Ilanga lanamhla lingcwele kuThixo wethu. Malingadani, ngoba ukuthokoza kukaThixo kungamandla enu.”
And [the governor] said to them, Go, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them that have nothing; for the day is holy to our Lord: and faint not, for the Lord is our strength.
11 AbaLevi babathulisa bonke abantu, bathi, “Thulani, ngoba lolu lusuku olungcwele. Lingadani.”
And the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for [it is] a holy day, and despond not.
12 Kwathi abantu bonke basebehamba bayakudla banatha, bathumela okunye ukudla kwabanye bazithokozisa kakhulu, ngoba manje basebewazwisisa lawomazwi abasebewazwile.
So all the people departed to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, for they understood the words which he made known to them.
13 Ngosuku lwesibili lwenyanga, abazinhloko zezimuli zonke, kanye labaphristi labaLevi, babuthana ku-Ezra umbhali ukuba bahlolisise amazwi oMthetho.
And on the second day the heads of families assembled with all the people, [also] the priests and Levites, to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the law.
14 Bakufumana kubhaliwe eMthethweni, owalaywa nguThixo ngoMosi, ukuthi ama-Israyeli babemele bahlale ezihonqweni ngesikhathi somkhosi wenyanga yesikhombisa
And they found written in the law which the Lord commanded Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths, in the feast in the seventh month:
15 lokuthi njalo lelilizwi babemele balimemezele liye kuwo wonke amadolobho abo laseJerusalema elithi: “Phumani liye emaqaqeni liyokhwebula amagatsha ama-oliva lama-oliva eganga, lamamithili, lamalala lezihlahla ezilomthunzi, lenze izihonqo,” njengoba kulotshiwe.
and that they should sound with trumpets in all their cities, and in Jerusalem. And Esdras said, Go forth to the mountain, and bring branches of olive, and branches of cypress trees, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of [every] thick tree, to make booths, according to that which was written.
16 Ngakho abantu baphuma babuya lamagatsha bazakhela izihonqo ephahleni lwezindlu zabo, emagumeni abo, emagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu lasegcekeni eliseSangweni laManzi lalelo elaliseSangweni lika-Efrayimi.
And the people went forth, and brought [them], and made booths for themselves, each one upon his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the streets of the city, and as far as the gate of Ephraim.
17 Ixuku lonke elavela ebugqilini lakha izihonqo lahlala kuzo. Kusukela ensukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kuze kube yilolosuku, ama-Israyeli ayengazange awenze kanjalo lowo mkhosi. Kwakukukhulu ukuthokoza kwabo.
And all the congregation who had returned from the captivity, made booths, and lived in booths: for the children of Israel [had] not done so from the days of Jesus the son of Naue until that day: and there was great joy.
18 Insuku ngensuku, kusukela kolokuqala kusiya kolokucina, u-Ezra wayebala eNcwadini yoMthetho kaNkulunkulu. Bawuthakazelela lowo mkhosi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili, kwabakhona umhlangano omkhulu, njengokumisiweyo emthethweni.
And [Esdras] read in the book of the law of God daily, from the first day even to the last day: and they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
