Nehemia 8
1 watu wote wakakusanyika kama mtu mmoja kwenye uwanja mbele ya Lango la Maji. Wakamwambia Ezra mwandishi alete Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mose, ambacho Bwana aliamuru kwa ajili ya Israeli.
And all the people are gathered as one man to the broad place that [is] before the Water Gate, and they say to Ezra the scribe to bring the Scroll of the Law of Moses, that YHWH commanded Israel.
2 Basi katika siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa saba, kuhani Ezra akaleta Sheria mbele ya kusanyiko, ambamo walikuwamo wanaume, wanawake na watu wote walioweza kufahamu.
And Ezra the priest brings the Law before the assembly, both of men and women, and everyone intelligent to hear, on the first day of the seventh month,
3 Akaisoma kwa sauti kubwa tangu mapambazuko mpaka adhuhuri, akiwa ameuelekea uwanja uliokuwa mbele ya Lango la Maji mbele ya wanaume, wanawake na wengine ambao waliweza kufahamu. Watu wote wakasikiliza kwa makini kile Kitabu cha Sheria.
and he reads in it before the broad place that [is] before the Water Gate, from the light until the middle of the day, in front of the men, and the women, and those intelligent, and the ears of all the people [are] toward the Scroll of the Law.
4 Mwandishi Ezra alikuwa amesimama juu ya jukwaa la miti lililojengwa kwa kusudi hilo. Karibu naye upande wa kuume alisimama Matithia, Shema, Anaya, Uria, Hilkia na Maaseya. Upande wake wa kushoto walikuwepo Pedaya, Mishaeli, Malkiya, Hashumu, Hashbadani, Zekaria na Meshulamu.
And Ezra the scribe stands on a tower of wood that they made for the purpose, and Mattithiah stands near him, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right; and on his left Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddana, Zechariah, Meshullam.
5 Ezra akakifungua kile kitabu. Watu wote waliweza kumwona kwa sababu alikuwa amesimama juu zaidi, naye alipokifungua watu wote wakasimama.
And Ezra opens the scroll before the eyes of all the people—for he has been above all the people—and at his opening [it] all the people have stood up,
6 Ezra akamsifu Bwana, Mungu mkuu, nao watu wote wakainua mikono yao na kuitikia, “Amen! Amen!” Kisha wakasujudu na kumwabudu Bwana hali nyuso zao zikigusa ardhi.
and Ezra blesses YHWH, the great God, and all the people answer, “Amen, Amen,” with lifting up of their hands, and they bow and pay respect to YHWH—faces to the earth.
7 Watu wakiwa wamesimama pale, Walawi wafuatao waliwafunza ile Sheria: Yeshua, Bani, Sherebia, Yamini, Akubu, Shabethai, Hodia, Maaseya, Kelita, Azaria, Yozabadi, Hanani na Pelaya.
And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, giving the people understanding in the Law, and the people, [are] on their station,
8 Walisoma kutoka kile Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu, wakiifafanua na kuwapa maelezo ili watu waweze kufahamu kile kilichokuwa kikisomwa.
and they read in the Scroll, in the Law of God, explaining—so as to give the meaning, and they give understanding to the convocation.
9 Ndipo Nehemia aliyekuwa mtawala, Ezra kuhani na mwandishi, pamoja na Walawi waliokuwa wakiwafundisha watu wakawaambia wote, “Siku hii ni takatifu kwa Bwana Mungu wenu. Msiomboleze wala msilie.” Kwa kuwa watu wote walikuwa wakilia walipokuwa wakisikiliza maneno ya ile Sheria.
And Nehemiah—he [is] the Tirshatha—says (and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who are instructing the people) to all the people, “Today is holy to your God YHWH, do not mourn, nor weep”: for all the people are weeping at their hearing the words of the Law.
10 Nehemia akasema, “Nendeni mkafurahie chakula kizuri na vinywaji vitamu, na mpeleke sehemu kwa wale ambao hawana chochote cha kula. Siku hii ni takatifu kwa Bwana. Msihuzunike, kwa kuwa furaha ya Bwana ni nguvu zenu.”
And he says to them, “Go, eat fat things, and drink sweet things, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today [is] holy to our Lord, and do not be grieved, for the joy of YHWH is your strength.”
11 Walawi wakawatuliza watu wote wakisema, “Kuweni watulivu, kwa kuwa hii ni siku takatifu. Msihuzunike.”
And the Levites are keeping all the people silent, saying, “Be silent, for today [is] holy, and do not be grieved.”
12 Kisha watu wote wakaondoka kwenda kula na kunywa, na kupeana sehemu ya chakula, na wakaadhimisha kwa furaha kubwa, kwa sababu sasa walifahamu maneno yale waliyokuwa wameelezwa.
And all the people go to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great joy, because they have understood concerning the words that they made known to them.
13 Katika siku ya pili ya mwezi, wakuu wa mbari zote, pamoja na makuhani na Walawi, walikusanyika wakimzunguka Ezra mwandishi ili wapate kusikiliza kwa makini maneno ya Sheria.
And on the second day have been gathered heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to act wisely concerning the words of the Law.
14 Wakakuta imeandikwa katika ile Sheria, ambayo Bwana aliiamuru kupitia kwa Mose, kwamba Waisraeli walipaswa kukaa katika vibanda wakati wa sikukuu ya mwezi wa saba,
And they find written in the Law that YHWH commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel dwell in shelters in the celebration, in the seventh month,
15 na kwamba walipaswa kutangaza neno hili na kulieneza katika miji yao na katika Yerusalemu wakisema: “Enendeni katika nchi ya mlima na kuleta matawi kutoka miti ya mizeituni, mizeituni mwitu, mihadasi, mitende na miti ya kivuli, ili kutengeneza vibanda,” kama ilivyoandikwa.
and that they proclaim and cause to pass over all their cities (and in Jerusalem), saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring leaves of the olive, and leaves of the oil tree, and leaves of the myrtle, and leaves of the palms, and leaves of thick trees, to make shelters as it is written.”
16 Basi watu wakaenda na kuleta matawi, nao wakajijengea vibanda juu ya paa za nyumba zao, katika nyua zao, katika nyua za nyumba ya Mungu, na katika uwanja karibu na Lango la Maji na uwanja wa Lango la Efraimu.
And the people go out, and bring in, and make for themselves shelters, each on his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the Water Gate, and in the broad place of the Gate of Ephraim.
17 Jamii yote ya watu waliorudi kutoka utumwani wakajenga vibanda na kuishi ndani yake. Tangu wakati wa Yoshua mwana wa Nuni mpaka siku ile, Waisraeli hawakuwahi kuiadhimisha namna hii. Furaha yao ilikuwa kubwa sana.
And they make—all the assembly of the captives of the captivity—shelters, and they sit in shelters; for the sons of Israel had not done, from the days of Jeshua son of Nun, so to that day, and there is very great joy.
18 Siku baada ya siku, kuanzia siku ya kwanza hadi ya mwisho, Ezra alisoma kutoka kwenye kile Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu. Wakaiadhimisha sikukuu ile kwa siku saba, nayo siku ya nane, kufuatana na maagizo, kulikuwa na kusanyiko maalum.
And he reads in the Scroll of the Law of God day by day, from the first day until the last day, and they make a celebration seven days, and on the eighth day a restraint, according to the ordinance.
