Neemias 8

1 Congregou-se todo o povo como um só homem, na praça fronteira *Ne 3.26à Entrada das Águas; e disseram a *Ed 7.6Esdras, o escriba, que trouxesse *2Cr 34.15o livro da lei de Moisés, ordenado a Israel por Jeová. 2 *Ne 8.9;Dt 31.9-11O sacerdote Esdras trouxe a lei para diante da congregação, tanto de homens como de mulheres, e de todos os que podiam ouvir com entendimento, no *Lv 23.24primeiro dia do sétimo mês. 3 Leu no livro diante da praça fronteira *Ne 8.1à Entrada das Águas desde manhã cedo até o meio dia, na presença dos homens, e das mulheres, e dos que podiam entender; e todo o povo tinha os ouvidos atentos ao livro da lei. 4 Esdras, o escriba, pôs-se em pé sobre um estrado de madeira que fizeram para esse fim; e, ao lado dele, à sua direita, estavam Matitias, Sema, Anaías, Urias, Hilquias e Maaseias; e à sua esquerda, Pedaías, Misael, Malquias, Hasum, Hasbadana, Zacarias e Mesulão. 5 Esdras abriu o *Ne 8.3livro à vista de todo o povo (pois ele estava acima de todo o povo). Abrindo-o ele, todo o povo se pôs em pé, 6 e Esdras bendisse a Jeová, o grande Deus. Todo o povo respondeu: *Ne 5.13Amém! Amém!, *Gn 14.22levantando as suas mãos. *Êx 4.31Inclinaram-se e adoraram a Jeová com os rostos em terra. 7 Também Jesua, Bani, Serebias, Jamim, Acube, Sabetai, Hodias, Maaseias, Quelita, Azarias, Jozabade, Hanã, Pelaías e os levitas fizeram que o povo entendesse a lei; e o povo estava em pé no seu lugar. 8 Leram no livro da lei de Deus distintamente; e deram o sentido, de modo que se entendesse a leitura.

9 Neemias, que era o *Ne 7.65,70governador, e Esdras, *Ne 12.26sacerdote e escriba, e os levitas, que ensinavam ao povo, disseram a todo o povo: *Ne 8.2Este dia é consagrado a Jeová, vosso Deus; *Dt 12.7,12não pranteeis, nem choreis. Pois todo o povo chorava, quando ouviam as palavras da lei. 10 Então, lhes disse: Ide, comei o gordo e bebei o doce, e *Dt 26.11-13mandai quinhões ao que não tem nada preparado para si. Pois este dia é consagrado ao Senhor. Não estejais contristados, porque a alegria de Jeová é a vossa fortaleza. 11 Os levitas fizeram calar a todo o povo, dizendo: Calai-vos, porque o dia é santo; e não estejais contristados. 12 Foi-se todo o povo a comer, e a beber, e a *Ne 8.10mandar quinhões, e a fazer grande regozijo, *Ne 8.7-8porque tinham entendido as palavras que lhes foram referidas.

A Festa dos Tabernáculos

13 Ao outro dia, ajuntaram-se os cabeças das famílias de todo o povo, os sacerdotes e os levitas, na presença de Esdras, o escriba, para atenderem às palavras da lei. 14 Acharam escrito na lei ter Jeová ordenado, por meio de Moisés, que os filhos de Israel *Lv 23.34,40,42habitassem em tabernáculos durante a festa do sétimo mês; 15 *Lv 23.4que publicassem e fizessem passar pregão por todas as suas cidades e *Dt 16.16em Jerusalém, dizendo: *Lv 23.40Saí ao monte e trazei ramos de oliveiras, ramos de zambujeiros, ramos de murtas, ramos de palmeiras, ramos de árvores frondosas, para fazerdes tabernáculos, como está escrito. 16 Saiu o povo, e trouxeram os ramos, e fizeram para si tabernáculos, cada um *Jr 32.29no eirado da sua casa, e nos seus átrios, e nos átrios da Casa de Deus, e na praça da *Ne 8.1Entrada das Águas, e na praça da *Ne 12.39;2Rs 14.13Entrada de Efraim. 17 Toda a congregação dos que tinham voltado do cativeiro fez tabernáculos, e neles habitaram, pois *2Cr 7.8;8.13não tinham feito assim os filhos de Israel desde os dias de Josué, filho de Num, até aquele dia. *2Cr 30.21Houve mui grande alegria. 18 Esdras *Dt 31.11leu no livro da lei de Deus todos os dias, desde o primeiro dia até o último. *Lv 23.36Celebraram a festa por sete dias; e, *Nm 29.35ao oitavo dia, houve uma assembleia solene segundo a ordenança.

1 All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. 2 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, 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, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God.

All the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. 8 They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

9 Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength."

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved."

12 All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

13 On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; 15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters,*8:15 or, booths as it is written."

16 So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters,*8:16 or, booths everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. 17 All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters*8:17 or, booths and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.