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.
All the people gathered as one man in the open area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which Yahweh had 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.
On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear and understand.
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.
He faced the open area in front of the Water Gate, and he read from it from early morning until midday, before men and women, and any who could understand, and all the people listened attentively to the book 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.
Then Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform which the people had made for the purpose. Standing beside him were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right side; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam were standing on his left side.
5 Ezra akakifungua kile kitabu. Watu wote waliweza kumwona kwa sababu alikuwa amesimama juu zaidi, naye alipokifungua watu wote wakasimama.
Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above the people, and when he opened it all the people 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.
Ezra gave thanks to Yahweh, the great God, and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed their heads and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground.
7 Watu wakiwa wamesimama pale, Walawi wafuatao waliwafunza ile Sheria: Yeshua, Bani, Sherebia, Yamini, Akubu, Shabethai, Hodia, Maaseya, Kelita, Azaria, Yozabadi, Hanani na Pelaya.
Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah—the Levites—helped the people understand the law, while the people remained in their place.
8 Walisoma kutoka kile Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu, wakiifafanua na kuwapa maelezo ili watu waweze kufahamu kile kilichokuwa kikisomwa.
They read in the book, The Law of God, making it clear with interpretation and giving the meaning so the people understood the reading.
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.
Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard 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.”
Then Nehemiah said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and have something sweet to drink, and send some of it to one who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
11 Walawi wakawatuliza watu wote wakisema, “Kuweni watulivu, kwa kuwa hii ni siku takatifu. Msihuzunike.”
So the Levites made the people be quiet, saying, “Hush! for this day is holy. 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.
Then all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to share food and to celebrate with great joy because they had understood the words that were 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.
On the second day the leaders of the ancestors' families from all the people, the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe to gain insight from 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,
They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded through Moses that the people of Israel should live in shelters during the festival of 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.
They should make a proclamation in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out into the hill country, and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtle, palms and shade 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.
So the people went out and brought the branches back and made themselves shelters, each on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, in the open area in front of the Water Gate, and in the square at 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.
All the assembly of those who had returned from captivity made shelters and lived in them. For since the days of Joshua son of Nun to that day, the people of Israel had not celebrated this festival, and so their joy was very great.
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.
Also day by day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival for seven days and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, in obedience to the decree.
