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

And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of 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.

2 ف َأحضَرَ 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.

Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.

3 و َقَرَأ 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.

He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

4 و َوَقَفَ 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.

Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.

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

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

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

Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “ Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

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

Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.

8 و َقَرَأُوا كِتابَ شَرِيعَةِ اللهِ قِسْماً قِسْماً وَأوضَحُوا مَعْناها، فَفَهِمَ الشَّعبُ ما قُرِئَ عَلَيهِمْ.

They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. “This Day Is Holy”

9 و َقالَ 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.

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “ This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

10 و َقالَ 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.»

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

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

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

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

All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them. Feast of Booths Restored

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

Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law.

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

They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.

15 و َأنْ 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.»

So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “ Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

16 ف َخَرَجَ 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.

So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.

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

The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing.

18 و َكانَ 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.

He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.