Nehemiah 8

¹ All the people of Israel don settle down for their own towns in the seventh month. All of them gather for Jerusalem on the first day of that month, for the square just inside the Water Gate. Dem ask Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law wey God don give Israel through Moses, to go get the book of law.

² Naso Ezra bring am to the place where the people don gather - men, women, and the children wey don mature to understand.

³ Na there for the square by the gate he dey read the law to them from morning till noon, and all of them dey listen well.

⁴ Ezra dey stand on top a wooden platform wey dem don build for the occasion. Na the following people stand for him right: Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and na the following people stand for him left: Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

⁵ As Ezra stand for there on top the platform high above the people, all of them dey look him. As soon as he open the book, dem stand up.

⁶ Ezra talk say, “Praise the LORD, the great God!” All the people raise their hand up and answer say, “Amen! Amen!” Dem knee down to worship, with their faces to the ground.

⁷ Then dem rise and stand for their places, and the following Levites dey explain the law to them: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah.

⁸ Dem translate the law of God and explain am so that people fit understand am.

⁹ When the people don hear wetin the law dey ask, e move them so tey dem start to dey cry. Naso Nehemiah, wey be the governor, Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law, and the Levites wey dey explain the law tell all the people say, “This day na holy to the LORD una God, so make una no mourn or cry.

¹⁰ Now make una go home and chop. Make una share una food and wine with those wey no get enough. Today na holy day to God, so make una no dey sad. The joy wey the LORD dey give una go make una strong.”

¹¹ The Levites dey go around dey calm the people and dey tell them make dem no dey sad on this kind holy day.

¹² Naso all the people go home and chop and drink with joy and dem share wetin dem get with others, because dem understand wetin dem read to them.

¹³ The heads of the clans, together with the priest and Levites, go meet Ezra to study the teachings of the law the next day.

¹⁴ Dem discover say the law, wey God give through Moses, order the people of Israel make dem live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters.

¹⁵ So dem give the following instruction and dem send all of them through Jerusalem and other cities and towns: “Make una go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instruction wey dem write for the law.”

¹⁶ Naso the people get branches and dem build shelters on top the roofs of their houses, for their yards, for the temple courtyard, and for the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate.

¹⁷ All the people wey don come back from captivity build shelters and dem live in them. Na the first time wey dem don do am since the days of Joshua son of Nun be this, and everybody dey happy and dey celebrate.

¹⁸ Dem read a part of the law of God every day from the first day of the festival take reach the last. Dem celebrate for seven days, and closing ceremony dey on the eighth day, as e dey for the law.