8:1 到了七月，以色列人住在自己的城裡。那時，他們如同一人聚集在水門前的寬闊處，請文士以斯拉將耶和華藉摩西傳給以色列人的律法書帶來。
8:2 七月初一日，祭司以斯拉將律法書帶到聽了能明白的男女會眾面前。
8:3 在水門前的寬闊處，從清早到晌午，在眾男女、一切聽了能明白的人面前讀這律法書。眾民側耳而聽。
8:4 文士以斯拉站在為這事特備的木臺上。瑪他提雅、示瑪、亞奈雅、烏利亞、希勒家，和瑪西雅站在他的右邊；毘大雅、米沙利、瑪基雅、哈順、哈拔大拿、撒迦利亞，和米書蘭站在他的左邊。
8:5 以斯拉站在眾民以上，在眾民眼前展開這書。他一展開，眾民就都站起來。
8:6 以斯拉稱頌耶和華至大的上帝；眾民都舉手應聲說：「阿們！阿們！」就低頭，面伏於地，敬拜耶和華。
8:7 耶書亞、巴尼、示利比、雅憫、亞谷、沙比太、荷第雅、瑪西雅、基利他、亞撒利雅、約撒拔、哈難、毘萊雅，和利未人使百姓明白律法；百姓都站在自己的地方。
8:8 他們清清楚楚地念上帝的律法書，講明意思，使百姓明白所念的。
8:9 省長尼希米和作祭司的文士以斯拉，並教訓百姓的利未人，對眾民說：「今日是耶和華─你們上帝的聖日，不要悲哀哭泣。」這是因為眾民聽見律法書上的話都哭了；
8:10 又對他們說：「你們去吃肥美的，喝甘甜的，有不能預備的就分給他，因為今日是我們主的聖日。你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。」
8:11 於是利未人使眾民靜默，說：「今日是聖日；不要作聲，也不要憂愁。」
8:12 眾民都去吃喝，也分給人，大大快樂，因為他們明白所教訓他們的話。
8:13 次日，眾民的族長、祭司，和利未人都聚集到文士以斯拉那裡，要留心聽律法上的話。
8:14 他們見律法上寫著，耶和華藉摩西吩咐以色列人要在七月節住棚，
8:15 並要在各城和耶路撒冷宣傳報告說：「你們當上山，將橄欖樹、野橄欖樹、番石榴樹、棕樹，和各樣茂密樹的枝子取來，照著所寫的搭棚。」
8:16 於是百姓出去，取了樹枝來，各人在自己的房頂上，或院內，或上帝殿的院內，或水門的寬闊處，或以法蓮門的寬闊處搭棚。
8:17 從擄到之地歸回的全會眾就搭棚，住在棚裡。從嫩的兒子約書亞的時候直到這日，以色列人沒有這樣行。於是眾人大大喜樂。
8:18 從頭一天直到末一天，以斯拉每日念上帝的律法書。眾人守節七日，第八日照例有嚴肅會。
1 all
the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told
Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which
the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So
on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before
the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to
understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he
faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and
others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the
Book of the Law.
4 Ezra
the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion.
Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and
Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum,
Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.
5 Ezra
opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above
them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra
praised the Lord, the great God;
and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they
bowed down and worshiped the Lord
with their faces to the ground.
7 The
Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah,
Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law
while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book
of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving
the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
9 Then
Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites
who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”
For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah
said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who
have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy
of the Lord is your strength.”
11 The
Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do
not grieve.”
12 Then
all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to
celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been
made known to them.
13 On
the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the
priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to
the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which
the Lord had commanded through
Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the
festival of the seventh month 15 and that they should proclaim
this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into
the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and
from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is
written.[b]
16 So
the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary
shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of
God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The
whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived
in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had
not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.
18 Day
after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law
of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in
accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.
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城牆建完會，藉由摩西的律法來建造歸回百姓成為上帝的百姓，並守住棚節七日。
