Nehemia 8
1 Na ka huihui te iwi katoa, ano he tangata kotahi, ki te marae i te kuwaha wai, a ka mea ki a Etera karaipi kia mauria mai te pukapuka o te ture a Mohi, o tera i whakahaua e Ihowa ki a Iharaira.
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 Na ka mauria mai e Etera tohunga te ture ki te aroaro o te whakaminenga, o te tane, o te wahine, o te hunga katoa e mohio ana ki te whakarongo, i te ra tuatahi o te whitu o nga marama.
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 A ka korerotia e ia i te marae i te kuwaha wai, i te ata iho a taea noatia a waenganui o te ra, i te aroaro o nga tane, o nga wahine, o te hunga whai whakaaro; na tau tonu mai nga taringa o te iwi katoa ki te pukapuka o te ture.
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 I tu ano a Etera karaipi i runga i te turanga rakau i hanga nei hei mea pera, me te tu ano a Matitia, a Hema, a Anaia, a Uria, a Hirikia, a Maaheia ki tona taha ki matau, a ki tona taha ki maui ko Peraia, ko Mihaera, ko Marakia, ko Hahumu, ko Hah aparana, ko Hakaraia, ko Mehurama.
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 Na wherahia ana e Etera te pukapuka i te aroaro o te iwi katoa; i runga ake hoki ia i te iwi katoa; a i tana wherahanga, tu ana te iwi katoa.
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 Na ka whakapai a Etera ki a Ihowa, ki te Atua nui; a ka whakahokia e te iwi katoa, Amine, Amine, me te ara ano o ratou ringa: na tuohu ana ratou, koropiko ana ki a Ihowa, me te ahu ano nga kanohi ki te whenua.
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 Ko Hehua ano, ko Pani, ko Herepia, ko Iamini, ko Akupu, ko Hapetai, ko Horiia, ko Maaheia, ko Kerita, ko Ataria, ko Iotapara, ko Hanana, ko Peraia, me nga Riwaiti, kei te whakamarama i te iwi ki te ture: tu tonu hoki tera te iwi.
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 A marama tonu ta ratou korero i te pukapuka o te ture, me te whakaatu ano i nga tikanga, me te whakamarama ano i a ratou i te korerotanga.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making clear the meaning so that the people could understand what it said.
9 Na ka mea a Nehemia, ko ia nei te kawana, a Etera tohunga, te karaipi, me nga Riwaiti i whakaako nei i te iwi, ki te iwi katoa, He ra tapu tenei na Ihowa, na to koutou Atua; kaua e tangi, kaua e pouri. I te tangi hoki te iwi katoa i to ratou rong onga i nga kupu o te ture.
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 Katahi ia ka mea ki a ratou, Haere, kainga nga mea momona, inumia nga mea reka, hoatu ano etahi wahi kia kawea ma te hunga kahore nei i taka he mea ma ratou; he ra tapu hoki tenei na to tatou Ariki; kaua hoki e pouri; kei te koa hoki ki a Ihowa he kaha mo koutou.
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 Heoi i whakamarie nga Riwaiti i te iwi katoa, i mea, Whakarongoa; he tapu hoki te ra nei, kaua hoki e pouri.
The Levites too were quieting everyone down, telling them, “Don't cry! This is a holy day and you shouldn't be sad.”
12 Na haere ana te iwi katoa ki te kai, ki te inu, ki te hoatu i etahi wahi ma etahi, ki te whakanui i te hari, no ratou ka mohio ki nga kupu i whakapuakina nei ki a ratou.
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 Na i te rua o nga ra ka huihui nga ariki o nga whare o nga matua o te iwi katoa, ratou ko nga tohunga, ko nga Riwaiti, ki a Etera karaipi, kia mohiotia ai nga kupu o te ture.
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 Na ka kitea he mea i tuhituhia ki te ture i whakahaua e Ihowa, ara e Mohi, mo nga tama a Iharaira kia noho ki nga tihokahoka i te hakari i te whitu o nga marama;
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 Kia karanga nui hoki, kia paku te reo ki o ratou pa katoa, ki Hiruharama hoki, kia mea, Haere ki te maunga, tikina he rau oriwa, he rau rakau hinu, he rau ramarama, he rau nikau, he rau rakau rau maha, hei hanga mo nga tihokahoka, kia rite ai ki te mea i tuhituhia.
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 Heoi kua puta te iwi ki waho, kei te tiki, hanga ana e ratou he tihokahoka mo ratou ki te tuanui o te whare o tenei, o tenei, ki o ratou marae, ki nga marae ano o te whare o te Atua, ki te marae i te kuwaha wai, ki te marae i te kuwaha o Eparaim a.
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 Na kua hanga he tihokahoka e te whakaminenga katoa o te hunga i hoki mai i te whakarau, a noho ana i raro i nga tihokahoka; kihai hoki nga tama a Iharaira i pera, o nga ra ano i a Hohua tama a Nunu a taea noatia taua ra. A nui atu te koa.
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 I korerotia ano e ia te pukapuka o te ture a te Atua i tenei ra, i tenei ra, i te ra tuatahi a tae noa ki te ra whakamutunga. Na e whitu nga ra i mahi ai ratou i te hakari, a i te waru o nga ra, ko te huihuinga nui, ko te mea i whakaritea.
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.
