Nehemias 8
1 At ang buong bayan ay nagpipisan na parang isang lalake sa luwal na dako na nasa harap ng pintuang-bayan ng tubig; at sila'y nangagsalita kay Ezra na kalihim, na dalhin ang aklat ng kautusan ni Moises, na iniutos ng Panginoon sa Israel.
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 At dinala ni Ezra na saserdote ang aklat ng kautusan sa harap ng kapisanan, na mga lalake at mga babae, at lahat na makadidinig na may kaalaman nang unang araw ng ikapitong buwan.
3 At binasa niya roon sa harap ng luwal na dako na nasa harap ng pintuang-bayan ng tubig, mula sa madaling araw hanggang sa katanghaliang tapat sa harapan ng mga lalake at mga babae, at ng makakaalam: at ang mga pakinig ng buong bayan ay nakikinig sa aklat ng kautusan.
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 At si Ezra na kalihim ay tumayo sa pulpitong kahoy, na kanilang ginawa sa panukalang ito; at sa tabi niya ay nakatayo si Mathithias, at si Sema, at si Anaias, at si Urias, at si Hilcias, at si Maasias, sa kaniyang kanan; at sa kaniyang kaliwa, si Pedaias, at si Misael, at si Malchias, at si Hasum, at si Hasbedana, si Zacharias, at si Mesullam.
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 At binuksan ni Ezra ang aklat sa paningin ng buong bayan; (sapagka't siya'y nasa mataas sa buong bayan; ) at nang kaniyang buksan, ang buong bayan ay tumayo:
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 At si Ezra ay pumuri sa Panginoon, na dakilang Dios. At ang buong bayan ay sumagot: Siya nawa, Siya nawa, na may pagtataas ng kanilang mga kamay: at kanilang iniyukod ang kanilang mga ulo, at nagsisamba sa Panginoon na ang kanilang mga mukha'y nakatungo sa lupa.
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 Si Jesua naman, at si Bani, at si Serebias, at si Jamin, si Accub, si Sabethai, si Odias, si Maasias, si Celita, si Azarias, si Jozabed, si Hanan, si Pelaia, at ang mga Levita, ay nangagpakilala sa bayan ng kautusan; at ang bayan ay nakatayo sa kanilang dako.
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 At sila'y nagsibasa sa aklat, sa kautusan ng Dios, na maliwanag; at kanilang ibinigay ang kahulugan, na anopa't kanilang nabatid ang binasa.
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 At si Nehemias na siyang tagapamahala, at si Ezra na saserdote na kalihim, at ang mga Levita na nangagturo sa bayan, ay nangagsabi sa buong bayan: Ang araw na ito ay banal sa Panginoon ninyong Dios; huwag kayong magsitaghoy, ni magsiiyak man. Sapagka't ang buong bayan ay umiyak, nang kanilang marinig ang mga salita ng kautusan.
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 Nang magkagayo'y kaniyang sinabi sa kanila, Magsilakad kayo ng inyong lakad, magsikain kayo ng taba, at magsiinom kayo ng matamis; at mangagpadala kayo ng mga bahagi roon sa walang naihanda: sapagka't ang araw na ito ay banal sa ating Panginoon: huwag din kayong mangamanglaw; sapagka't ang kagalakan sa Panginoon ay inyong kalakasan.
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 Sa gayo'y napatahimik ng mga Levita ang buong bayan, na sinasabi, Kayo'y magsitahimik, sapagka't ang kaarawan ay banal; ni huwag man kayong mamanglaw.
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 At ang buong bayan ay yumaon ng kanilang lakad na nagsikain at nagsiinom at nangagpadala ng mga bahagi, at nangagsayang mainam sapagka't kanilang nabatid ang mga salita na ipinahayag sa kanila.
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 At nang ikalawang araw ay nagpipisan ang mga pangulo ng mga sangbahayan ng mga magulang ng buong bayan, ang mga saserdote, at ang mga Levita, kay Ezra na kalihim, upang makinig sa mga salita ng kautusan.
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 At kanilang nasumpungang nakasulat sa kautusan, kung paanong iniutos ng Panginoon, sa pamamagitan ni Moises, na ang mga anak ni Israel ay magsitahan sa mga balag sa kapistahan ng ikapitong buwan:
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 At kanilang ihahayag at itatanyag sa lahat ng kanilang mga bayan, at sa Jerusalem, na sasabihin: Magsilabas kayo sa bundok, at magsikuha kayo ng mga sanga ng olibo, at ng mga sanga ng olibong gubat, at ng mga sanga ng mirto, at mga sanga ng palma, at mga sanga ng mga mayabong na punong kahoy, upang magsigawa ng mga balag, gaya ng nakasulat.
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 Sa gayo'y lumabas ang bayan, at nangagdala sila, at nagsigawa ng mga balag, bawa't isa'y sa bubungan ng kaniyang bahay, at sa kanilang mga looban, at sa mga looban ng bahay ng Dios, at sa luwal na dako ng pintuang-bayan ng tubig, at sa luwal na dako ng pintuang-bayan ng 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 At ang buong kapisanan nila na bumalik na mula sa pagkabihag ay gumawa ng mga balag, at tumahan sa mga balag: sapagka't mula ng mga araw ni Josue na anak ni Nun hanggang sa araw na yaon ay hindi nagsigawa ang mga anak ni Israel ng gayon. At nagkaroon ng totoong malaking kasayahan.
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 Gayon din naman araw-araw, mula sa unang araw hanggang sa huling araw, kaniyang binasa ang aklat ng kautusan ng Dios. At kanilang ipinagdiwang ang kapistahan na pitong araw; at sa ikawalong araw ay takdang kapulungan, ayon sa ayos.
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.
