UNehemiya 8
1 Bonke abantu basebebuthana njengamuntu munye egcekeni eliphambi kwesango lamanzi; bakhuluma kuEzra umbhali ukuletha ugwalo lomlayo kaMozisi, iNkosi eyayiwulaye uIsrayeli.
All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the square that was before the Water Gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the law of Moses, which Jehovah had commanded to Israel.
2 UEzra umpristi wasewuletha umlayo phambi kwebandla, kusukela kowesilisa kusiya kowesifazana, laye wonke owaqedisisa ukuzwa, ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa.
Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
3 Wasebala kuwo phambi kwegceke eliphambi kwesango lamanzi kusukela emadabukakusa kwaze kwaba semini enkulu, phambi kwabesilisa labesifazana labaqedisisayo; lendlebe zabo bonke abantu zazingasegwalweni lomlayo.
And he read it before the square that was before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the scroll of the law.
4 UEzra umbhali wasesima phezu kwendawo ephakemeyo yamapulanka ababeyenzele loludaba. Leceleni kwakhe kwakumi oMathithiya loShema loAnaya loUriya loHilikhiya loMahaseya ngakwesokunene sakhe; langakwesokhohlo sakhe oPhedaya, loMishayeli, loMalikiya, loHashuma, loHashibadana, uZekhariya, uMeshulamu.
Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 UEzra wasevula ugwalo phambi kwamehlo abo bonke abantu; ngoba wayengaphezu kwabantu bonke; lapho eluvula, bonke abantu basukuma.
Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people; ) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6 UEzra waseyibusisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu omkhulu. Bonke abantu basebephendula bathi: Ameni, ameni, ngokuphakamisa izandla zabo; basebekhothama, bayikhonza iNkosi ngobuso emhlabathini.
and Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God. All the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.
7 OJeshuwa, loBani, loSherebiya, uJamini, uAkubi, uShabethayi, uHodiya, uMahaseya, uKelita, uAzariya, uJozabadi, uHanani, uPelaya, lamaLevi basebesenza abantu baqedisise umlayo, abantu besendaweni yabo.
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people, and the people stayed in their place.
8 Basebebala egwalweni, emlayweni kaNkulunkulu, ngokucacileyo, bechasisa, bebenza bazwisise ekubaleni.
They read in the scroll, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
9 UNehemiya owayengumbusi, lompristi uEzra umbhali, lamaLevi ayefundisa abantu, basebesithi ebantwini bonke: Lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu; lingalili njalo lingakhali inyembezi. Ngoba bonke abantu bakhala inyembezi lapho besizwa amazwi omlayo.
Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, "This day is holy to Jehovah your God. Do not mourn, nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
10 Wasesithi kibo: Hambani, lidle okunonileyo, linathe okumnandi, lithumele izabelo kongalungiselwanga lutho; ngoba lolusuku lungcwele eNkosini yethu, njalo lingadabuki, ngoba intokozo yeNkosi ingamandla enu.
Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength."
11 AmaLevi asebathulisa bonke abantu esithi: Thulani, ngoba lolusuku lungcwele, lingadabuki.
So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be grieved."
12 Bonke abantu basebehamba ukuyakudla, lokunatha, lokuthumela izabelo, lokwenza intokozo enkulu, ngoba babewaqedisisile amazwi ababebazise wona.
All the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13 Langosuku lwesibili kwabuthana inhloko zaboyise zabo bonke abantu, abapristi, lamaLevi, kuEzra umbhali, ukuze baqedisise amazwi omlayo.
On the second day were gathered together the heads of ancestral houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.
14 Basebethola kubhaliwe emlayweni iNkosi eyayiwulayile ngesandla sikaMozisi ukuthi abantwana bakoIsrayeli bahlale emadumbeni ngomkhosi ngenyanga yesikhombisa,
They found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;
15 lokuthi bazwakalise bedlulise isimemezelo kuyo yonke imizi yabo laseJerusalema besithi: Phumelani entabeni lilethe ingatsha zezihlahla zemihlwathi, lengatsha zezihlahla zamafutha, lengatsha zezihlahla zamamiteli, lengatsha zamalala, lengatsha zezihlahla ezilamahlamvu aminyeneyo, ukwenza amadumba, njengokubhaliweyo.
and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written."
16 Basebephuma abantu, baziletha, bazenzela amadumba, ngulowo lalowo ephahleni lwakhe, lemagumeni abo, lemagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu, legcekeni lesango lamanzi, legcekeni lesango lakoEfrayimi.
So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves booths, everyone on the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of God's house, and in the broad place of the Water Gate, and in the broad place of the Ephraim Gate.
17 Ibandla lonke lalabo ababebuyile ekuthunjweni basebesenza amadumba, bahlala emadumbeni. Ngoba kusukela ensukwini zikaJoshuwa indodana kaNuni kwaze kwaba yilolosuku abantwana bakoIsrayeli babengenzanga njalo. Kwasekusiba lentokozo enkulu kakhulu.
All the assembly of those who had come again out of the captivity made booths, and lived in the booths; for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness.
18 Njalo usuku ngosuku kusukela osukwini lokuqala kwaze kwaba lusuku lokucina wabala egwalweni lomlayo kaNkulunkulu. Bawenza-ke umkhosi insuku eziyisikhombisa; kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili kwaba lenhlangano enzulu, njengesimiso.
Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the scroll of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
