1 N ow all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded 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 S o Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day 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 T hen he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of 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 S o Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, 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 A nd 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.

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. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their 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, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood 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 distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

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

9 A nd Nehemiah, who was the governor, 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 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 he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

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; do not be grieved.”

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

12 A nd all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. The Feast of Tabernacles

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

13 N ow on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law.

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 by Moses, that the children of Israel 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 announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of 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 T hen the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of 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 S o the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

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 until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

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.