Ezra Reads God's Law to the People
1-2 On the first day of the seventh month, the people came together in the open area in front of the Water Gate. Then they asked Ezra, who was a teacher of the Law of Moses, to read to them from this Law that the Lord had given his people. Ezra the priest came with the Law and stood before the crowd of men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 From early morning till noon, he read the Law of Moses to them, and they listened carefully. 4 Ezra stood on a high wooden platform that had been built for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah were standing to his right, while Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash Baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam were standing to his left.
5 Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra praised the great Lord God, and they lifted their hands, shouting “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.
7-8 After this, the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah went among the people, explaining the meaning of what Ezra had read.
9 The people started crying when God's Law was read to them. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the Levites who had been teaching the people all said, “This is a special day for the Lord your God. So don't be sad and don't cry!”
10 Nehemiah told the people, “Enjoy your good food and wine and share some with those who didn't have anything to bring. Don't be sad! This is a special day for the Lord, and he will make you happy and strong.”
11 The Levites encouraged the people by saying, “This is a sacred day, so don't worry or mourn!” 12 When the people returned to their homes, they celebrated by eating and drinking and by sharing their food with those in need, because they had understood what had been read to them.
Celebrating the Festival of Shelters
13 On the second day of the seventh month, the leaders of all the family groups came together with the priests and the Levites, so Ezra could teach them the Law 14 that the Lord had given to Moses. They learned from the Law that the people of Israel were to live in shelters when they celebrated the festival in the seventh month of the year. 15 They also learned that they were to go into the woods and gather branches of leafy trees such as olives, myrtles, and palms for making these shelters.
16 So the people gathered branches and made shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the courtyard of the temple, and in the open areas around the Water Gate and Ephraim Gate. 17 Everyone who had returned from Babylonia built shelters. They lived in them and joyfully celebrated the Festival of Shelters for the first time since the days of Joshua son of Nun. 18 On each of the first seven days of the festival, Ezra read to the people from God's Law. Then on the eighth day, everyone gathered for worship, just as the Law had said they must.
Esra ta leshele ovanhu omhango
1 Ndele ohani onhiheyali eshi ye uya, Ovaisraeli fimbo va kala moilando yavo, oshiwana ashishe sha ongala ngaashi omunhu umwe ponhele ya andjuka komesho yOshivelo shomeva ndele ovanhu va lombwela Esra, omunongo womishangwa, a ete embo lomhango yaMoses, ei Omwene e i pa Ovaisraeli. 2 Ndele omupristeli Esra okwa eta omhango komesho yoshiongalele shovalumenhu noshovakainhu naaveshe ve neendunge oku i uda. Eshi osha ningwa mefiku lotete mohani onhiheyali. 3 Nokwa lesha mo muyo ponhele ya andjuka komesho yOshivelo shomeva, oketendo leluwa fiyo opokati komutenya moipafi yovalumenhu noyovakainhu ava ve neendunge okushiiva. Nomatwi ovanhu aveshe ve a pakalekela embo lomhango. 4 Nomunongo womishangwa Esra okwa kala ofika koshipundi shile shoiti osho ve shi pangelela oshiongalele eshi, ndele puye kolulyo laye pa kala ofika: Matitia naSema naAnaja naUria naHilkia naMaasea. Ndele kolumosho laye: Pedaja naMishael naMalkia naHasum naHasbaddana, Sakaria naMesullam. 5 Ndele Esra okwa pandja embo moipafi yovanhu aveshe, osheshi ye okwa li a kala ofika a londa e dule ovanhu aveshe. Ndele ye eshi e li pandja, ovanhu aveshe va kala ofika. 6 Ndele Esra okwa hambelela Omwene Kalunga kanene, oshiwana ashishe osha nyamukula nokuyelula omake asho: “Amen! Amen!” opo ve linyongamena nokwiilikana Omwene, oipala yavo ya twa pedu. 7 Ndele Josua naBani naSerebja, Jamin, Akkub, Sabbetai, Hodia, Maasea, Kelita, Asaria, Josabad, Hanan, Pelaja nOvalevi va longa ovanhu omhango, fimbo ovanhu va kala ofika peenhele davo. 8 Ndele vo va lesha membo, momhango yaKalunga, va lesha nawa ndele ve i fatulula, opo va kale ve udite ko odo da leshwa.
9 Opo nee omupangeli Nehemia naEsra omupristeli nomunongo womishangwa nOvalevi ovo va longa oshiwana nokulombwela oshiwana ashishe tava ti: “Efiku eli ola yapulilwa Omwene Kalunga keni. Inamu nyika oluhodi nye inamu lila!” Osheshi oshiwana ashishe sha lila, eshi sha uda eendjovo domhango. 10 Ye okwe va lombwela vali: “Indeni mu ka lye eendja dinyenye ndele mu ka nwe oikunwa inyenye, ndele tumeni eendja kwaava inava telekelwa sha. Osheshi efiku eli la yapulilwa Omwene wetu; onghee hano inamu nyika oluhodi, osheshi ehafo mOmwene olo eenghono deni.” 11 NOvalevi va ngungumaneka oshiwana ashishe ndele tava ti: “Mweneni! Osheshi efiku eli oliyapuki. Onghee hano inamu nyika oluhodi.” 12 Opo oshiwana ashishe sha fikama sha lya ndele sha nwa ndele sha tumina eendja ovo inava telekelwa sha ndele sha dana oshivilo shehafo. Osheshi osho sha li shi udite ko eendjovo she di lombwelwa.
Oshivilo shomatwali
13 Ndele mefiku la shikula ovakulunhu vomapata oshiwana ashishe, novapristeli nOvalevi, va ongala puEsra, omunongo womishangwa, va ongalela eendjovo domhango di findilwe mo. 14 Opo nee va mona momhango yOmwene e i lombwela Moses, mwa shangelwa, nokutya ovana vaIsrael ve nokukala momatwali moshivilo tashi danwa mohani onhiheyali, 15 ndele vo ve nokuvilikila nokutuma moilando aishe nomuJerusalem nokutya: “Indeni keemhunda mu ka tale ko oitai yolumono noitai yolumono lomuliete noitai yamirti noivale yomilunga, noitai yomiti di nomafo a hapa, mu ninge omatwali ngaashi pa shangwa.” 16 Novanhu va ya ndele ve i eta ndele ve li ningila omatwali, keshe umwe konduda yaye nomoluumbo longulu yaKalunga nomonhele ya andjuka yopOshivelo shomeva nomonhele ya andjuka yopOshivelo shaEfraim. 17 Noshiongalele ashishe shaava va aluka va dja moukwatwa, ova ninga omatwali ndele va kala momatwali. Osheshi okudja komafiku aJosua yaNun fiyo okefiku olo, ovana vaIsrael inave shi ninga. Ndele pa li ehafo linene. 18 Okwa lesha membo lomhango yaKalunga keshe efiku, okudja kefiku lotete fiyo okefiku laxuuninwa. Ndele va dana oshivilo omafiku aheyali ndele mefiku etihetatu okwa li oshiongalele shoshivilo pamalombwelo.
