Ezra Reads the Law to the People
1 By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. On the first day of that month they all assembled in Jerusalem, in the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law which the Lord had given Israel through Moses, to get the book of the Law. 2 So Ezra brought it to the place where the people had gathered—men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 There in the square by the gate he read the Law to them from dawn until noon, and they all listened attentively.
4 Ezra was standing on a wooden platform that had been built for the occasion. The following men stood at his right: Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and the following stood at his left: Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 As Ezra stood there on the platform high above the people, they all kept their eyes fixed on him. As soon as he opened the book, they all stood up. 6 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the great God!”
All the people raised their arms in the air and answered, “Amen! Amen!” They knelt in worship, with their faces to the ground.
7 Then they rose and stood in their places, and the following Levites explained the Law to them: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah. 8 They gave an oral translation of God's Law and explained it so that the people could understand it.
9 When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God, so you are not to mourn or cry. 10 Now go home and have a feast. Share your food and wine with those who don't have enough. Today is holy to our Lord, so don't be sad. The joy that the Lord gives you will make you strong.”
11 The Levites went around calming the people and telling them not to be sad on such a holy day. 12 So all the people went home and ate and drank joyfully and shared what they had with others, because they understood what had been read to them.
The Festival of Shelters
13 The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law. 14 They discovered that the Law, which the Lord gave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters. 15 So they gave the following instructions and sent them all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: “Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law.”
16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate. 17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy. 18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God's Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law.
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.
