Nehemia 8
1 Zvino mwedzi wechinomwe wakati wasvika, uye vaIsraeri vagara mumaguta avo, vanhu vose vakaungana vakaita somunhu mumwe pachivara chakatarisana neSuo reMvura. Vakakumbira Ezira munyori kuti auye neBhuku roMurayiro waMozisi, wakanga warayirwa naJehovha kuvaIsraeri.
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 Naizvozvo pazuva rokutanga romwedzi wechinomwe, Ezira muprista akauya noMurayiro pamberi peungano, yaiva yavarume navakadzi navose vaigona kunzwisisa.
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 Akauverenga nenzwi guru kubva mangwanani kusvikira masikati, akatarisa chivara chaiva pamberi peSuo reMvura, pamberi pavarume navakadzi navose vaigona kunzwisisa. Uye vanhu vose vakateerera zvikuru kuBhuku roMurayiro.
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 Ezira munyori akamira panzvimbo yakakwirira yakanga yavakwa namatanda, yavakirwa izvozvo. Kurutivi rwake rworudyi kwaiva kwakamira Matitia, Shema, Anania, Uria, Hirikia naMaaseya; uye kuruboshwe rwake kwaiva naPedhaya, Mishaeri, Marikiya, Hashumi, Hashibhadhana, Zekaria naMeshurami.
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 Ezira akazarura bhuku. Vanhu vose vaigona kumuona nokuti akanga akamira pakakwirira; uye paakarizarura, vanhu vose vakasimuka.
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 Ezira akarumbidza Jehovha, Mwari mukuru; uye vanhu vose vakasimudza maoko avo vakapindura vachiti, “Ameni! Ameni!” Ipapo vakakotamira pasi vakanamata Jehovha zviso zvavo zvakatsikitsira pasi.
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 VaRevhi vaiti: Jeshua, Bhani, Sherebhia, Jamini, Akubhi, Shabhetai, Hodhia, Maaseya, Kerita, Azaria, Jozabhadhi, Hanani naPeraya vakadzidzisa vanhu Murayiro vanhu vamire ipapo.
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 Vakaverenga kubva muBhuku roMurayiro waMwari, vachiisa pachena nokutsanangura zvazvaireva kuitira kuti vanhu vanzwisise zvaiverengwa.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
9 Ipapo Nehemia mubati, Ezira, muprista nomunyori, navaRevhi vairayira vanhu vakati kwavari vose, “Zuva iri idzvene kuna Jehovha Mwari wenyu. Musachema kana kuungudza.” Nokuti vanhu vose vainge vachichema pavaiteerera kumashoko omurayiro.
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 Nehemia akati kwavari, “Endai munodya nomufaro zvokudya zvamunoda nezvokunwa zvinotapira, mugotumirawo zvimwe kuna avo vasina chavakagadzirira. Zuva ranhasi idzvene kuna Ishe wedu. Musazvidya mwoyo, nokuti mufaro waJehovha ndiro simba renyu.”
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 VaRevhi vakanyaradza vanhu vose vakati, “Nyararai, nokuti iri izuva dzvene. Musazvidya mwoyo.”
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Ipapo vanhu vose vakabva vaenda kundodya nokunwa, nokutumira migove yezvokudya vachipembera nomufaro mukuru, nokuti vakanga vanzwisisa zvino mashoko avakanga vaudzwa.
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 Pazuva rechipiri romwedzi, vakuru vemhuri, pamwe chete navaprista navaRevhi, vakaungana vakakomberedza Ezira munyori kuti vateerere kumashoko oMurayiro.
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 Vakawana zvakanga zvakanyorwa muMurayiro, zvakanga zvarayirwa naJehovha kubudikidza naMozisi, zvokuti vaIsraeri vaizogara mumatumba panguva dzomutambo womwedzi wechinomwe.
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 Uye kuti vaifanira kuparidza shoko iri nokuriparadzira mumaguta avo ose nomuJerusarema vachiti: “Endai munyika yezvikomo muuye namapazi omuorivhi nemiti yemiorivhi yomusango, neomukonachando, nemichindwe nemiti yemimvuri, kuti muite matumba sezvazvakanyorwa.”
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 Naizvozvo vanhu vakabuda vakanouya namapazi vakazvivakira matumba pamusoro pamatenga avo, nomuminhanga yavo, nomumavazhe eimba yaMwari uye napachivara paSuo reMvura uye napaSuo raEfuremu.
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 Ungano yose yakanga yadzoka kuutapwa yakavaka matumba ikagaramo. Kubva pamazuva aJoshua mwanakomana waNuni kusvikira pazuva iroro, vaIsraeri havana kumbopemberera saizvozvi. Uye mufaro wavo waiva mukuru kwazvo.
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 Zuva rimwe nerimwe, kubva pazuva rokutanga kusvikira pane rokupedzisira, Ezira akaverenga kubva muBhuku roMurayiro waMwari. Vakapemberera mutambo kwamazuva manomwe, uye pazuva rorusere, maererano nezvakanga zvarayirwa, pakava neungano ipapo.
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.
