Et venerat mensis septimus: filii autem Israël erant in civitatibus suis. Congregatusque est omnis populus quasi vir unus ad plateam quæ est ante portam aquarum: et dixerunt Esdræ scribæ ut afferret librum legis Moysi, quam præceperat Dominus Israëli.

And the seventh month came: and the children of Israel were in their cities. And all the people were gathered together as one man to the street which is before the water gate, and they spoke to Esdras the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

When the seventh month had come after the return of the Israelites to their cities, the whole people gathered, like one man, in the open space before the Water-gate; and there they would have the scribe Esdras go and fetch the book in which the law of Moses, the Lord’s prescription to Israel, was written down.

Attulit ergo Esdras sacerdos legem coram multitudine virorum et mulierum, cunctisque qui poterant intelligere, in die prima mensis septimi.

Then Esdras the priest brought the law before the multitude of men and women, and all those that could understand, in the first day of the seventh month.

So there and then, on the first day of the seventh month, the priest Esdras fetched out the book, in the presence of a great throng of men and women, with such children as were old enough to understand it.

Et legit in eo aperte in platea quæ erat ante portam aquarum, de mane usque ad mediam diem, in conspectu virorum et mulierum, et sapientium: et aures omnis populi erant erectæ ad librum.

And he read it plainly in the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before the men, and the women, and all those that could understand: and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book.

And there in the open space before the Water-gate he proclaimed the law, before men and women and such younger folk as could take it in, from daybreak to noon, and all listened attentively while the reading went on.

Stetit autem Esdras scriba super gradum ligneum, quem fecerat ad loquendum: et steterunt juxta eum Mathathias, et Semeia, et Ania, et Uria, et Helcia, et Maasia, ad dexteram ejus: et ad sinistram, Phadaia, Misaël, et Melchia, et Hasum, et Hasbadana, Zacharia, et Mosollam.

And Esdras the scribe stood upon a step of wood, which he had made to speak upon, and there stood by him Mathathias, and Semeia, and Ania, and Uria, and Helcia, and Maasia, on his right hand: and on the left, Phadaia, Misael, and Melchia, and Hasum, and Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam.

A wooden pulpit had been erected to carry the sound better, and at this the scribe Esdras stood; with him were Mathathias, Semeia, Ania, Uria, Helcia and Maasia on his right, Phadaia, Misael, Melchia, Hasum, Hasbadana, Zacharia and Mosollam on his left.

Et aperuit Esdras librum coram omni populo: super universum quippe populum eminebat: et cum aperuisset eum, stetit omnis populus.

And Esdras opened the book before all the people: for he was above all the people: and when he had opened it, all the people stood.

Esdras was plainly seen, as he opened the book, by all the people underneath. When he had opened it, all rose;

Et benedixit Esdras Domino Deo magno: et respondit omnis populus: Amen, amen, elevans manus suas: et incurvati sunt, et adoraverunt Deum proni in terram.

And Esdras blessed the Lord the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, amen: lifting up their hands: and they bowed down, and adored God with their faces to the ground.

and when he blessed the name of the Lord, the great God, all lifted their hands and answered, Amen, amen; and with that they bowed down and worshipped with their faces close to the ground.

Porro Josue, et Bani, et Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Septhai, Odia, Maasia, Celita, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, Levitæ, silentium faciebant in populo ad audiendam legem: populus autem stabat in gradu suo.

Now Josue, and Bani, and Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sephtai, Odia, Maasia, Celtia, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan, Phalaia, the Levites, made silence among the people to hear the law: and the people stood in their place.

Then the Levites came forward, Josue, Bani, Serebia, Jamin, Accub, Sebthai, Odia, Maasia, Celita, Azarias, Jozabed, Hanan and Phalaia; these enjoined silence on the people, as they stood there in their places for the reading of the law.

Et legerunt in libro legis Dei distincte, et aperte ad intelligendum: et intellexerunt cum legeretur.

And they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and plainly to be understood: and they understood when it was read.

And they read out the book of the law, clear and plain to give the sense of it, so that all could understand the reading.

Dixit autem Nehemias (ipse est Athersatha) et Esdras sacerdos et scriba, et Levitæ interpretantes universo populo: Dies sanctificatus est Domino Deo nostro: nolite lugere, et nolite flere. Flebat enim omnis populus cum audiret verba legis.

And Nehemias (he is Athersatha) and Esdras the priest and scribe, and the Levites who interpreted to all the people, said: This is a holy day to the Lord our God: do not mourn, nor weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

And now the governor, Nehemias, with Esdras, priest and scribe, and these Levites who interpreted to the people what was read, must needs remind them that it was a feast-day set apart to the Lord; there must be no lamenting and weeping; already the whole multitude were in tears, as they listened to the words of the law.

Et dixit eis: Ite, comedite pinguia, et bibite mulsum, et mittite partes his qui non præparaverunt sibi, quia sanctus dies Domini est: et nolite contristari: gaudium etenim Domini est fortitudo nostra.

And he said to them: Go, eat fat meats, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to them that have not prepared for themselves: because it is the holy day of the Lord, and be not sad: for the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Go home, said Nehemias, and regale yourselves with rich meat and honeyed wine, sharing your good things with those who have none. There must be no sadness on this day, the Lord’s feast-day. To rejoice in the Lord, there lies our strength.

Levitæ autem silentium faciebant in omni populo, dicentes: Tacete, quia dies sanctus est, et nolite dolere.

And the Levites stilled all the people, saying: Hold your peace, for the day is holy, and be not sorrowful.

The Levites, too, called for silence everywhere; Peace there, no lamenting, they said, this is a day of rejoicing.

Abiit itaque omnis populus ut comederet, et biberet, et mitteret partes, et faceret lætitiam magnam: quia intellexerant verba quæ docuerat eos.

So all the people went to eat and drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth: because they understood the words that he had taught them.

So all the throng dispersed, to eat and drink and share their good things with glad hearts, the message of the law made plain to them.

Et in die secundo congregati sunt principes familiarum universi populi, sacerdotes et Levitæ, ad Esdram scribam, ut interpretaretur eis verba legis.

And on the second day the chiefs of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Esdras the scribe, that he should interpret to them the words of the law.

Next day, all the clan chiefs and priests and Levites thronged about the scribe Esdras, to hear him interpret the law’s meaning.

Et invenerunt scriptum in lege præcepisse Dominum in manu Moysi ut habitent filii Israël in tabernaculis in die solemni, mense septimo:

And they found written in the law, that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in tabernacles, on the feast, in the seventh month:

And there they found it set down, as the Lord’s injunction through Moses, that the sons of Israel, at the feast of the seventh month, should make their dwelling in tents.

et ut prædicent, et divulgent vocem in universis urbibus suis, et in Jerusalem, dicentes: Egredimini in montem, et afferte frondes olivæ, et frondes ligni pulcherrimi, frondes myrti, et ramos palmarum, et frondes ligni nemorosi, ut fiant tabernacula, sicut scriptum est.

And that they should proclaim and publish the word in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying: Go forth to the mount, and fetch branches of olive, and branches of beautiful wood, branches of myrtle, and branches of palm, and branches of thick trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.

They were to proclaim it far and wide at Jerusalem and in all their cities, Go out to the mountain-side, and bring in boughs of olive, or of some favourite tree, branches of myrtle and palm, leafy boughs, to make arbours, as the law prescribes.

Et egressus est populus, et attulerunt. Feceruntque sibi tabernacula unusquisque in domate suo: et in atriis suis, et in atriis domus Dei, et in platea portæ aquarum, et in platea portæ Ephraim.

And the people went forth, and brought. And they made themselves tabernacles every man on the top of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

So the men of Juda went out, and brought green boughs home; arbours they made everywhere, in their own dwellings and fore-courts, in the courts of the Lord’s house, and in the open spaces before the Water-gate and the Gate of Ephraim.

Fecit ergo universa ecclesia eorum qui redierant de captivitate, tabernacula, et habitaverunt in tabernaculis: non enim fecerant a diebus Josue filii Nun taliter filii Israël usque ad diem illum. Et fuit lætitia magna nimis.

And all the assembly of them that were returned from the captivity, made tabernacles, and dwelt in tabernacles: for since the days of Josue the son of Nun the children of Israel had not done so, until that day: and there was exceeding great joy.

Thus the whole body of those who had come back from exile made arbours and lodged in them; since the days of Josue son of Nun the rite had fallen into abeyance, and now there was great rejoicing.

Legit autem in libro legis Dei per dies singulos, a die primo usque ad diem novissimum. Et fecerunt solemnitatem septem diebus, et in die octavo collectam juxta ritum.

And he read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day till the last, and they kept the solemnity seven days, and in the eighth day a solemn assembly according to the manner.

Day after day while the feast continued Esdras read out the book of God’s law to them. So for seven days they kept high festival, and on the eighth there was a gathering of the whole people, held with due solemnity.