1 T hen all the people gathered together as one man in the broad place before the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel.

اجتَمَعَ كُلُّ الشَّعبِ مَعاً فِي السّاحَةِ قُرْبَ «بابِ الماءِ» وَطَلَبُوا مِنَ المُعَلِّمِ عَزْرا أنْ يُحضِرَ كِتابَ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى الَّتِي أمَرَ اللهُ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ بِأنْ يَتَّبِعُوها.

2 A nd Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of both men and women and all who could hear with understanding, on the first of the seventh month.

فَأحضَرَ عَزْرا الكاهِنُ كِتابَ الشَّرِيعَةِ أمامَ الجُمْهُورِ الَّذِي تَألَّفَ مِنَ الرِّجالِ وَالنِّساءِ مَعاً، أي كُلِّ مَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أنْ يَفهَمَ ما يَسْمَعُهُ. وَكانَ ذَلِكَ فِي اليَوْمِ الأوَّلِ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ السّابِعِ.

3 H e read from it, facing the broad place before the Water Gate, from early morning until noon, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

وَقَرَأ عَزْرا أمامَ السّاحَةِ، أمامَ «بابِ الماءِ» مِنْ أوَّلِ الصَّباحِ إلَى الظُّهْرِ، لِلرِّجالِ وَالنِّساءِ وَكُلِّ مَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أنْ يَفهَمَ ما يَسْمَعُهُ. وَأصغَى كُلُّ الشَّعبِ إلَى تَعلِيمِ الشَّرِيعَةِ.

4 E zra the scribe stood on a wooden pulpit which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

وَوَقَفَ المُعَلِّمُ عَزْرا عَلَى مِنَصَّةٍ خَشَبِيَّةٍ صُنِعَتْ لِتِلْكَ المُناسَبَةِ. وَعَلَى يَمِينِهِ وَقَفَ مَتَّثْيا وَشَمَعُ وَعَنايا وَأُورِيّا وَحِلْقِيّا وَمَعْسِيّا. وَعَلَى شِمالِهِ وَقَفَ فَدايا وَمِيشائِيلُ وَمَلْكِيّا وَحاشُومُ وَحَشْبَدّانَةُ وَزَكَرِيّا وَمَشُلّامُ.

5 E zra opened the book in sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

وَفَتَحَ عَزْرا الكِتابَ عَلَى مَرْأى مِنْ جَمِيعِ الشَّعبِ، لِأنَّهُ كانَ أعلَى مِنْهُمْ. وَلَمّا فَتَحَ عَزْرا الكِتابَ، وَقَفَ كُلُّ الشَّعبِ.

6 A nd Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with faces to the ground.

وَسَبَّحَ عَزْرا اللهَ ، الإلَهَ العَظِيمَ، فَأجابَ جَمِيعُ الشَّعبِ: «آمِين! آمِين!» وَأيادِيهِمْ مَرفُوعَةٌ. وَانحَنُوا وَعَبَدُوا اللهَ وَوُجُوهُهُمْ إلَى الأرْضِ.

7 A lso Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah—the Levites—helped the people to understand the Law, and the people in their place.

وَقامَ اللّاوِيُّونَ، وَهُمْ يَشُوعُ وَبانِي وَشَرَبْيا وَيامِينُ وَعَقُّوبُ وَشَبْتايَ وَهُودِيّا وَمَعْسِيّا وَقَلِيطا وَعَزَرْيا وَيُوزابادُ وَحَنانُ وَفَلايا، بِإفْهامِ الشَّعبِ شَرِيعَةَ اللهِ وَالشَّعْبُ واقِفُونَ فِي أماكِنِهِمْ.

8 S o they read from the Book of the Law of God distinctly, faithfully amplifying and giving the sense so that understood the reading.

وَقَرَأُوا كِتابَ شَرِيعَةِ اللهِ قِسْماً قِسْماً وَأوضَحُوا مَعْناها، فَفَهِمَ الشَّعبُ ما قُرِئَ عَلَيهِمْ.

9 A nd Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of them, This day is holy to the Lord your God; mourn not nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law.

وَقالَ نَحَمْيا الوالِي وَعَزْرا المُعَلِّمُ وَاللّاوِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ يُعَلِّمُونَ الشَّعبَ لَهُمْ: «هَذا اليَوْمُ مُخَصَّصٌ لإلَهِكُمْ. فَلا تَحزَنُوا وَلا تَنُوحُوا،» لِأنَّ الشَّعبَ كانُوا جَمِيعاً يَبكُونَ وَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلامَ الشَّرِيعَةِ.

10 T hen told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold.

وَقالَ لَهُمْ عَزْرا: «اذْهَبُوا وَكُلُوا طَعاماً دَسِماً وَاشْرَبُوا شَراباً حُلْواً، وَأرسِلُوا حِصَّةً لِلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُحضِرُوا طَعاماً، لِأنَّ اليَوْمَ مُخَصَّصٌ لِرَبِّنا. وَلا تَحزَنُوا لِأنَّ فَرَحَ اللهِ يَجْعَلُكُمْ أقْوِياءَ.»

11 S o the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy. And do not be grieved and sad.

وَكانَ اللّاوِيُّونَ يُهَدِّئُونَ الشَّعبَ بِقَولِهِمْ: «اسْكُتُوا وَلا تَحزَنُوا، فَهَذا يَوْمٌ مُخَصَّصٌ للهِ.»

12 A nd all the people went their way to eat, drink, send portions, and make great rejoicing, for they had understood the words that were declared to them.

فَقامَ جَمِيعُ الشَّعبِ لِيَأْكُلُوا وَيَشْرَبُوا وَيُرْسِلُوا حِصَصاً مِنَ الطَّعامِ، وَيَحتَفِلُوا بِفَرَحٍ عَظِيمٍ، لِأنَّهُمْ فَهِمُوا الكَلامَ الَّذِي أُعلِنَ لَهُمْ.

13 O n the second day, all the heads of fathers’ houses, with the priests and Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to study and understand the words of divine instruction.

وفِي اليَوْمِ الثّانِي مِنَ الشَّهْرِ، اجْتَمَعَ رُؤَساءُ جَمِيعِ العائِلاتِ وَالكَهَنَةُ اللّاوِيُّونَ مَعَ المُعَلِّمِ عَزْرا لِدِراسَةِ كَلامِ الشَّرِيعَةِ وَتَعلِيمِها.

14 A nd they found written in the law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month

وَوَجَدُوا فِيها ما أمَرَ بِهِ اللهُ عَلَى فَمِ مُوسَى. وَأنَّ عَلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ أنْ يَسْكُنُوا فِي سَقائِفَ مُؤَقَّتَةٍ فِي عِيدِ الشَّهْرِ السّابِعِ.

15 A nd that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.

وَأنْ يُنادُوا بِالكَلِماتِ التّالِيَةِ وَيَنشُرُوها عَبْرَ مُدُنِهِمْ وَفِي القُدْسِ: «اخْرُجُوا إلَى المَناطِقِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ وَأحْضِرُوا أغصاناً مِنَ الزَّيتُونِ وَالزَّيتُونِ البَرِّيِّ وَالآسِ وَالنَّخِيلِ وَأشْجارٍ مُورِقَةٍ أُخْرَى لِكَي تَصنَعُوا سَقائِفَ كَما هُوَ مَكتُوبٌ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ.»

16 S o the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each on the roof of his house and in their courts and the courts of God’s house and in the squares of the Water Gate and the Gate of Ephraim.

فَخَرَجَ الشَّعبُ وَأحضَرُوا أغصاناً وَصَنَعُوا سَقائِفَ مُؤَقَّتَةً لِأنفُسِهِمْ، كُلُّ واحِدٍ عَلَى سَطْحِ بَيتِهِ وَفِي ساحَةِ مَنزِلِهِ، وَفِي ساحاتِ بَيتِ اللهِ، وَفِي السّاحَةِ القَرِيبَةِ مِنْ بابِ الماءِ، وَالسّاحَةِ القَرِيبَةِ مِنْ بابِ أفْرايِمَ.

17 A ll the assembly of returned exiles made booths and dwelt in them; for since the days of Jeshua (Joshua) son of Nun up to that day, the Israelites had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.

وَصَنَعَتْ كُلُّ الجَماعَةِ الَّتِي عادَتْ مِنَ السَّبِي سَقائِفَ مُؤَقَّتَةً، وَأقامُوا فِيها. لِأنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَفعَلُوا هَذا مِنْ أيّامِ يَشُوعَ بْنِ نُونَ. وَكانَ فَرَحُهُمْ عَظِيماً.

18 A lso day by day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast for seven days; the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

وَكانَ عَزْرا يَقرَأُ مِنْ كِتابِ شَرِيعَةِ اللهِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أوَّلِ يَوْمٍ إلَى آخِرِ يَوْمٍ فِي الاحتِفالِ. وَاحتَفَلُوا سَبعَةَ أيّامٍ، وَفِي اليَوْمِ الثّامِنِ كانَ هُناكَ اجتِماعٌ خاصٌّ كَما تَقُولُ الشَّرِيعَةُ.