Nehemiah 8
1 Ezra, who taught people the laws of Moses, [had a scroll on which] the laws of Moses were written. Those were the laws that Yahweh had commanded the Israeli people [to obey]. On October 8 of that year, all the people gathered together in the plaza/square that was close to the Water Gate. Men and women and [children] who [were old enough to] understand gathered together. Someone told Ezra to bring out that scroll.
Συνήχθη δε πας ο λαός, ως εις άνθρωπος, εις την πλατείαν την έμπροσθεν της πύλης των υδάτων· και είπον προς Έσδραν τον γραμματέα, να φέρη το βιβλίον του νόμου του Μωϋσέως, τον οποίον ο Κύριος προσέταξεν εις τον Ισραήλ.
Και την πρώτην ημέραν του εβδόμου μηνός έφερεν Έσδρας ο ιερεύς τον νόμον έμπροσθεν της συνάξεως ανδρών τε και γυναικών και πάντων των δυναμένων να εννοώσιν ακούοντες.
3 So he brought it out and read it to the people. He started reading it early in the morning and continued reading it until noontime. All the people listened carefully to the laws that were written on the scroll.
Και ανέγνωσεν εν αυτώ, εν τη πλατεία τη έμπροσθεν της πύλης των υδάτων, από της αυγής μέχρι της μεσημβρίας, ενώπιον των ανδρών και των γυναικών και των δυναμένων να εννοώσι· και τα ώτα παντός του λαού προσείχον εις το βιβλίον του νόμου.
4 Ezra stood on top of a high wooden platform that had been built just for that event. At his right side stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. At his left side stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
Ίστατο δε Έσδρας ο γραμματεύς επί βήματος ξυλίνου, το οποίον έκαμον επίτηδες· και πλησίον αυτού ίστατο Ματταθίας και Σεμά και Αναΐας και Ουρίας και Χελκίας και Μαασίας, εκ δεξιών αυτού· εξ αριστερών δε αυτού Φεδαΐας και Μισαήλ και Μαλχίας και Ασούμ και Ασβαδανά, Ζαχαρίας και Μεσουλλάμ.
5 Ezra stood on the platform above the people, where they could all see him. He opened the scroll; and as he did that, all the people stood up, [and they continued to stand, to show respect for God’s word].
Και ήνοιξεν ο Έσδρας το βιβλίον ενώπιον παντός του λαού· διότι ήτο υπεράνω παντός του λαού· και ότε ήνοιξεν αυτό, πας ο λαός ηγέρθη.
6 Then Ezra praised Yahweh, the great God, and all the people lifted up their hands and said, “Amen! Amen!” Then they all bowed down with their foreheads touching the ground, and they worshiped Yahweh.
Και ηυλόγησεν ο Έσδρας τον Κύριον, τον Θεόν τον μέγαν. Και πας ο λαός απεκρίθη, Αμήν, Αμήν, υψόνοντες τας χείρας αυτών· και κύψαντες, προσεκύνησαν τον Κύριον με τα πρόσωπα επί την γην.
7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, were all (Levites/men who worked in the temple). They explained the meaning of the laws of Moses to the people who were standing there.
Ιησούς δε και Βανί και Σερεβίας, Ιαμείν, Ακκούβ, Σαββεθαΐ, Ωδίας, Μαασίας, Κελιτά, Αζαρίας, Ιωζαβάδ, Ανάν, Φελαΐας και οι Λευΐται εξήγουν τον νόμον εις τον λαόν· και ο λαός ίστατο εν τω τόπω αυτού.
8 They also read from scrolls that contained the laws that God [gave to Moses], and they interpreted [into the Aramaic language] what they read, making the meaning clear so that the people could understand the meaning.
Και ανέγνωσαν εν τω βιβλίω του νόμου του Θεού ευκρινώς, και έδωκαν την έννοιαν και εξήγησαν τα αναγινωσκόμενα.
9 Then I, Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra, and the Levites who were interpreting what was being read to the people, said to them, “Yahweh your God considers that this day is very holy/sacred. So do not be sad or cry!” They said that because all the people were crying as they were listening to the laws of Moses.
Και ο Νεεμίας, ούτος είναι ο Θιρσαθά, και Έσδρας ο ιερεύς ο γραμματεύς, και οι Λευΐται οι εξηγούντες εις τον λαόν, είπον προς πάντα τον λαόν, Η ημέρα αύτη είναι αγία εις Κύριον τον Θεόν σας· μη πενθείτε μηδέ κλαίετε. Διότι πας ο λαός έκλαιεν, ως ήκουσαν τους λόγους του νόμου.
10 Then I said to them, “Now go home and enjoy [some] good food and drink [some] sweet wine. And send some of it to people who do not have anything [to eat or drink]. This is a day that Yahweh considers sacred. Do not be sad! Yahweh will cause you to be joyful and make you strong.”
Και είπε προς αυτούς, Υπάγετε, φάγετε παχέα και πίετε γλυκάσματα, και αποστείλατε μερίδας προς τους μη έχοντας μηδέν ητοιμασμένον· διότι η ημέρα είναι αγία εις τον Κύριον ημών· και μη λυπείσθε· διότι η χαρά του Κυρίου είναι η ισχύς σας.
11 The Levites also caused the people to be quiet, saying “Be quiet [and do not cry], because this is a sacred day! Do not be sad!”
Και κατεσίγασαν οι Λευΐται πάντα τον λαόν, λέγοντες, Ησυχάζετε· διότι η ημέρα είναι αγία· και μη λυπείσθε.
12 So the people went away, and they ate and drank, and they sent portions of food [to those who did not have any]. They celebrated very joyfully, because they had heard and understood what had been read to them.
Και απήλθε πας ο λαός, διά να φάγωσι και να πίωσι και να αποστείλωσι μερίδας και να κάμωσιν ευφροσύνην μεγάλην, διότι ενόησαν τους λόγους τους οποίους εφανέρωσαν εις αυτούς.
13 The next day, the leaders of the families and the priests and [other] descendants of Levi met with Ezra to study carefully the laws that Yahweh had given to Moses.
Και την δευτέραν ημέραν συνήχθησαν οι άρχοντες των πατριών παντός του λαού, οι ιερείς και οι Λευΐται, προς Έσδραν τον γραμματέα, διά να διδαχθώσι τους λόγους του νόμου.
14 While they were doing that, they realized that Yahweh had told Moses to command the Israeli people to live in shelters during that month, [to remember that their ancestors lived in shelters when they left Egypt].
Και εύρηκαν γεγραμμένον εν τω νόμω, τον οποίον προσέταξεν ο Κύριος διά του Μωϋσέως, να κατοικήσωσιν οι υιοί Ισραήλ εν σκηναίς εν τη εορτή του εβδόμου μηνός·
15 They also learned that they should proclaim in Jerusalem and in all the towns that the people should go to the hills and cut branches from olive trees [that they have planted] and from wild olive trees and from myrtle trees and palm trees and fig trees. They should make shelters from these branches, and live in those shelters during the festival, just as Moses wrote [that they should do].
και να δημοσιεύσωσι και να διακηρύξωσιν εις πάσας τας πόλεις αυτών και εις την Ιερουσαλήμ, λέγοντες, Εξέλθετε εις το όρος και φέρετε κλάδους ελαίας και κλάδους αγριελαίας και κλάδους μυρσίνης και κλάδους φοινίκων και κλάδους δασυφύλλων δένδρων, διά να κάμητε σκηνάς, κατά το γεγραμμένον.
16 So the people went out [of the city] and cut branches and used them to build shelters. They built shelters on the [flat] roofs [of their houses], in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the temple, and in the plazas/squares close to the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate.
Και εξελθών ο λαός έφερε, και έκαμον εις εαυτούς σκηνάς, έκαστος επί του δώματος αυτού, και εν ταις αυλαίς αυτών και εν ταις αυλαίς του οίκου του Θεού και εν τη πλατεία της πύλης των υδάτων και εν τη πλατεία της πύλης του Εφραΐμ.
17 All of the Israeli people who had returned from Babylon built shelters and lived in them [for one week]. The Israeli people had not celebrated that festival like that since the time that Joshua lived. And they were very joyful.
Και πάσα η σύναξις των επιστρεψάντων από της αιχμαλωσίας έκαμον σκηνάς, και εκάθησαν εν ταις σκηναίς· διότι από των ημερών Ιησού υιού του Ναυή μέχρι εκείνης της ημέρας, οι υιοί Ισραήλ δεν είχον κάμει ούτω. Και έγεινεν ευφροσύνη μεγάλη σφόδρα.
18 Every day during that week Ezra read to the people from the scroll that contained the laws that God [gave Moses]. Then on the eighth day, just as one of the laws of God said that they should do, they gathered together to end the celebration.
Και καθ' εκάστην ημέραν, από της πρώτης ημέρας μέχρι της τελευταίας ημέρας, ανεγίνωσκεν εν τω βιβλίω του νόμου του Θεού. Και έκαμον εορτήν επτά ημέρας· την δε ογδόην ημέραν πάνδημον σύναξιν, κατά το διατεταγμένον.
