Nehemiah 8

vayye'asefu khol-ha'am ke'ish ekhad el-harekhov asher lifne sha'ar-hammayim vayyomeru le'ezra hassofer lehavi et-sefer torat mosheh asher-tsivvah Adonai et-yisra'el

the entire people assembled as one in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the Teaching of Moses with which GOD had charged Israel.

vayyavi ezra hakkohen et-hattorah lifne haqqahal me'ish ve'ad-isha vekhol mevin lishmoa beyom ekhad lakhodesh hashevi'i

On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Teaching before the congregation, men and women and all who could listen with understanding.

vayyiqra-vo lifne harekhov asher lifne sha'ar-hammayim min-ha'or ad-makhatsit hayyom neged ha'anashim vehannashim vehammevinim ve'ozne khol-ha'am el-sefer hattorah

He read from it, facing the square before the Water Gate, from the first light until midday, to the men and the women and those who could understand; the ears of all the people were given to the scroll of the Teaching.

vayya'amod ezra hassofer al-migdal-ets asher asu laddavar vayya'amod etslo mattityah veshema va'anayah ve'uriyyah vekhilqiyyah uma'aseyah al-yemino umissemolo pedayah umisha'el umalkiyyah vekhashum vekhashbaddanah zekharyah meshullam

Ezra the scribe stood upon a wooden tower made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah at his right, and at his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam.

vayyiftakh ezra hassefer le'ene khol-ha'am ki-me'al kol-ha'am hayah ukhefitkho amedu khol-ha'am

Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people; as he opened it, all the people stood up.

vayevarekh ezra et-Adonai ha'elohim haggadol vayya'anu khol-ha'am amen amen bemo'al yedehem vayyiqqedu vayyishtakhavu la-Adonai appayim aretsah

Ezra blessed the ETERNAL, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with hands upraised. Then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before GOD with their faces to the ground.

veyeshua uvani veshereveyah yamin aqquv shabbetay hodiyyah ma'aseyah qelita azaryah yozavad khanan pelayah vehaleviyyim mevinim et-ha'am lattorah veha'am al-omdam

Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Teaching to the people, while the people stood in their places.

vayyiqre'u vassefer betorat ha'elohim meforash vesom sekhel vayyavinu bammiqra

They read from the scroll of the Teaching of God, translating it and giving the sense; so they understood the reading.

vayyomer nekhemyah hu hattirshata ve'ezra hakkohen hassofer vehaleviyyim hammevinim et-ha'am lekhol-ha'am hayyom qadosh-hu la-Adonai elohekhem al-titabbelu ve'al-tivku ki vokhim kol-ha'am keshomam et-divre hattorah

Nehemiah the Tirshatha, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were explaining to the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the ETERNAL your God: you must not mourn or weep,” for all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Teaching.

vayyomer lahem lekhu ikhlu mashmannim ushetu mamtaqqim veshilkhu manot le'en nakhon lo ki-qadosh hayyom la'adonenu ve'al-te'atsevu ki-khedvat Adonai hi ma'uzzekhem

He further said to them, “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Sovereign. Do not be sad, for your rejoicing in GOD is the source of your strength.”

vehaleviyyim makhshim lekhol-ha'am lemor hassu ki hayyom qadosh ve'al-te'atsevu

The Levites were quieting the people, saying, “Hush, for the day is holy; do not be sad.”

vayyelekhu khol-ha'am le'ekhol velishtot uleshallakh manot vela'asot simkhah gedolah ki hevinu baddevarim asher hodi'u lahem

Then all the people went to eat and drink and send portions and make great merriment, for they understood the things they were told.

uvayyom hasheni ne'esfu rashe ha'avot lekhol-ha'am hakkohanim vehaleviyyim el-ezra hassofer ulehaskil el-divre hattorah

On the second day, the heads of the clans of all the people and the priests and Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Teaching.

vayyimtse'u katuv battorah asher tsivvah Adonai beyad-mosheh asher yeshevu vene-yisra'el bassukkot bekhag bakhodesh hashevi'i

They found written in the Teaching that GOD had commanded Moses that the Israelites must dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month,

va'asher yashmi'u veya'aviru qol bekhol-arehem uvirushalai͏m lemor tse'u hahar vehavi'u ale-zayit va'ale-ets shemen va'ale hadas va'ale temarim va'ale ets avot la'asot sukkot kakkatuv

and that they must announce and proclaim throughout all their towns and Jerusalem as follows, “Go out to the mountains and bring leafy branches of olive trees, pine trees, myrtles, palms and [other] leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”

vayyetse'u ha'am vayyavi'u vayya'asu lahem sukkot ish al-gaggo uvekhatsrotehem uvekhatsrot bet ha'elohim uvirkhov sha'ar hammayim uvirkhov sha'ar efrayim

So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves booths on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the House of God, in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Ephraim Gate.

vayya'asu khol-haqqahal hashavim min-hashevi sukkot vayyeshevu vassukkot ki lo-asu mime yeshua bin-nun ken bene yisra'el ad hayyom hahu vattehi simkhah gedolah me'od

The whole community that returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths—the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun to that day—and there was very great rejoicing.

vayyiqra besefer torat ha'elohim yom beyom min-hayyom harishon ad hayyom ha'akharon vayya'asu-khag shivat yamim uvayyom hashemini atseret kammishpat

He read from the scroll of the Teaching of God each day, from the first to the last day. They celebrated the festival seven days, and there was a solemn gathering on the eighth, as prescribed.