Ezra Read di Law Loud-Loud
The people demself ask for our Papa Law, and dem stand while Ezra dey read from early morning reach afternoon, and the Levites dey explain wetin e mean. Dem cry for wetin dem hear, but dem tell dem say make dem rather do feast, share food, and rejoice. Then dem keep the festival inside shelter wey dem make with leaf.
8 1When di seventh month reach, all di people gather as one for di open place for front of di Water Gate, and dem beg Ezra di scribe make e bring di Book of di Law of Moses, wey our Papa command give Israel. 2For di first day of di seventh month, Ezra di priest bring di Law come front of di gathering of men, women, and everybody wey fit understand wetin dem dey hear. 3E read am, e face di open place for front of di Water Gate, from when day break reach afternoon, give di men, women, and everybody wey fit understand. All di people listen well-well to di Book of di Law. 4Ezra di scribe stand for one high wooden platform wey dem make for dis purpose. For im right side, Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stand near am; and for im left side, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5Ezra open di book for front of all di people eye, because e stand for up pass all di people; as e open am, everybody stand up. 6Ezra praise our Papa, di great God, and all di people raise dem hand and answer, “Amen! Amen!” Den dem bow, dem face touch ground, dem dey worship our Papa.
7Di Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—explain di Law give di people, while di people stand for dem place. 8Dem read di book, di Law of our Papa, clear-clear, dem give di meaning so dat di people fit understand di reading.
9Den Nehemiah di governor, Ezra di priest and scribe, and di Levites wey dey teach di people, tell dem all, “Dis day holy give your Papa. No mourn, no cry.” Because all di people dey cry as dem hear di words of di Law. 10Nehemiah tell dem, “Go chop rich food, drink something wey sweet, and send portion give dem wey no get anything ready, because dis day holy give our Papa wey be Oga. No dey grieve; di joy of our Papa na your strength.”
11Di Levites calm all di people, dem talk say, “Make una quiet, because dis day holy. No dey grieve.”
12All di people go chop, drink, share portion, and celebrate with plenty joy, because dem understand di words wey dem make dem know.
Dem Keep di Feast of Shelter
13For di second day, di head of families of all di people, together with di priests and Levites, gather come Ezra di scribe make dem study di words of di Law. 14Dem find am write for inside di Law wey our Papa command through Moses: say di Israel people suppose live for inside shelter during di seventh-month festival. 15Dem suppose announce am and spread di word for all dem town and for Jerusalem: “Go di hills and bring branch of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy tree, to make booth, as dem write am.”
16Di people go out, dem bring branch, and dem build shelter—each person for im own roof, for compound, for di courts of our Papa im house, and for di open place for di Water Gate and di Ephraim Gate. 17Di whole gathering of di people wey come back from exile build shelter, dem live inside am; di Israel people never do so since di days of Joshua di son of Nun reach dat day, and dem joy plenty well-well. 18Each day, from di first day reach di last one, Ezra read di Book of di Law of our Papa. Dem keep di feast seven days, and for di eighth day dem hold one solemn gathering, as di Law talk say.
