Nehemia 8
1 ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa hyiaa wɔ wɔn nsuseneeɛ ɛpono no ano. Ɔmanfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Ɛsra a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛni sɛ ɔnkenkan Mose mmara a Awurade ahyɛ sɛ Israelfoɔ nni so no.
At that time all the people gathered together in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2 Enti, bosome Tisri (bɛyɛ Ahinime) da a ɛtɔ so nwɔtwe no, ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra de krataa mmobɔeɛ a mmara no wɔ mu no baa badwa no a mmarima ne mmaa ne mmɔfra a wɔanyini te asɛm ase no anim.
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.
3 Ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ adwaberem wɔ nsuseneeɛ ɛpono no ano, firi anɔpahema kɔsii owigyinaeɛ kenkanee mmara no den, maa obiara a ɔte aseɛ no teeɛ. Ɔmanfoɔ no nyinaa wɛnee wɔn aso, tiee mmara no.
So Ezra read it aloud from daybreak until noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate, in front of the men and women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
4 Ɛsra a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛni no gyinaa apa tenten bi a wɔsi maa saa da no so. Nnipa a na wɔgyinagyina ne nifa so no no din de Matitia, Sema, Anaia, Uria, Hilkia ne Maaseia. Wɔn a na wɔgyinagyina ne benkum so no no din de Pedaia, Misael, Malkia, Hasum, Hasbadana, Sakaria ne Mesulam.
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for this occasion. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and at his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 Ɛsra gyinaa apa no so a nnipa dɔm no nyinaa hunu no. Ɛberɛ a wɔhunuu sɛ wabue nwoma no mu no, wɔn nyinaa sɔresɔre gyinaa wɔn nan so.
Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was standing above them all, and as he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 Na Ɛsra kamfoo Awurade, Otumfoɔ Onyankopɔn, na ɔmanfoɔ no bɔ gyee so sɛ, “Amen! Amen!” wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔmemaa wɔn nsa so kyerɛɛ ɔsoro. Afei, wɔkotokotoeɛ, somm Awurade a wɔn anim butubutu fam.
Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted, all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Afei, Lewifoɔ a wɔn din de Yesua, Bani, Serebia, Yamin, Akub, Sabetai, Hodia, Maaseia, Kelita, Asaria, Yosabad, Hanan ne Pelaia kyerɛɛ ɔmanfoɔ a wɔgyinagyina hɔ no deɛ wɔnyɛ.
The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law as they stood in their places.
8 Wɔkenkan firii Onyankopɔn mmara nwoma no mu kyerɛɛ wɔn deɛ wɔkenkan no ase, boaa ɔmanfoɔ no ma wɔtee twerɛpɛn biara ase.
So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.
9 Na amrado Nehemia, ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛni ne Lewifoɔ a na wɔrekyerɛkyerɛ aseɛ akyerɛ ɔmanfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monnsu ɛda a ɛte sɛ yei! Ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnnɛ yɛ ɛda kronkron wɔ Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, anim.” Nnipa no tee mmara no mu nsɛm no, wɔn nyinaa suiɛ.
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law.
10 Na Nehemia toaa so sɛ, “Momfa nnuane pa ne anonneɛ a ɛyɛ dɛ nkɔdi afahyɛ no na mo ne wɔn a wɔnni nnuane pa a wɔanoa no nnidi. Ɛnnɛ yɛ da kronkron wɔ Awurade anim. Monnni abooboo ne awerɛhoɔ, na Awurade mu anigyeɛ no yɛ ahoɔden.”
Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 Na Lewifoɔ no nso kasaa sɛ, “Hwɛ! Monnsu. Ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnnɛ yɛ ɛda kronkron” de dwodwoo wɔn.
And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve.”
12 Na nnipa no kɔdidiiɛ, kyɛɛ nnuane, nomeeɛ, dii dapɔnna no anigyeɛ so, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔtee Onyankopɔn nsɛm, tee aseɛ.
Then all the people began to eat and drink, to send out portions, and to rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
13 Na bosome Tisri (bɛyɛ Ahinime) a ɛtɔ so nkron no, mmusua ntuanofoɔ no ne asɔfoɔ no ne Lewifoɔ no ne Ɛsra hyiaeɛ sɛ, wɔrekɔ mmara no mu fekɔfekɔ.
On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law.
14 Wɔkɔɔ mmara no mu no, wɔhunuu sɛ, Awurade nam Mose so ahyɛ sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ Israelfoɔ no tena asese mu afahyɛ a wɔrebɛdi no saa bosome no mu no.
And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
15 Waka sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ nhyɛ no ho dawuro wɔ wɔn nkuro nyinaa so, ne titire no, Yerusalem nam so aka akyerɛ ɔmanfoɔ no sɛ, wɔnkɔ nkokoɔ so nkɔpɛ ngo dua mman, kranku mman, ohwannua mman, ɛberɛ ne nnua kusukusuu mman, na wɔmfa mmɛbobɔ asese ntena mu, sɛdeɛ wɔatwerɛ no mmara no mu no.
So they proclaimed this message and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Enti, nnipa no kɔtwitwaa mman, na wɔde sisii asese wɔ wɔn afie, wɔn adihɔ, Onyankopɔn asɔredan adihɔ anaa adwaberem a ɛwowɔ asutene apono no ne Efraim apono no mu.
And the people went out, brought back branches, and made booths on their own rooftops, in their courtyards, in the court of the house of God, and in the squares by the Water Gate and by the Gate of Ephraim.
17 Enti, obiara a wafiri nneduasom mu aba no kɔtenaa saa asese yi mu afahyɛberɛ no nnanson mu, na obiara ani gyee yie. Ɛfiri Nun babarima Yosua berɛ so no, Israelfoɔ anni afahyɛ no saa ɛkwan yi so.
The whole assembly who had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And there was great rejoicing.
18 Ɛsra kenkan firii Onyankopɔn mmara nwoma no mu wɔ afahyɛ no mu nnanson no mu da biara. Afei, Tisri bosome (bɛyɛ Ahinime) da a ɛtɔ so dunum no, wɔyɛɛ nhyiamu anibereɛ so, sɛdeɛ Mose mmara hwehwɛ no.
Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. The Israelites kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly, according to the ordinance.
