Nehemiah

8 Then all the people gather together with one mind for the public place wey dey front of the Water Gate, and them tell Ez′ra wey de copy books* say make e bring the book of the Law of Moses, wey Jehovah command Israel people. 2 So, for the first day of the seventh month, Ez′ra wey be priest bring the Law for front of the men and women wey gather, and all the people wey fit listen and understand. 3 And e read-am come out loud for front of the public place wey dey front of the Water Gate, from when day break go reach afternoon. E read-am give the men, the women, and all the people wey fit understand; and the people de use all their mind listen to the book of the Law. 4 Ez′ra wey de copy book stand ontop platform wey them use wood make because of the meeting; and the people wey stand with-am for im right side na Mat·ti·thi′ah, She′ma, A·nai′ah, U·ri′ah, Hil·ki′ah, and Ma·a·sei′ah; and the people wey stand for im left side na Pe·dai′ah, Mish′a·el, Mal·chi′jah, Ha′shum, Hash-bad′da·nah, Zech·a·ri′ah, and Me·shul′lam.

5 Ez′ra open the book and all the people de see-am, because where e dey high pass where all the people dey. As e open-am, all the people come stand up. 6 Then Ez′ra praise Jehovah the true God, the Person wey dey great, and all the people answer say: “Amen!* Amen!” and them raise their hands up, then them bow down and lie down for Jehovah front and them face ground. 7 And Jesh′u·a, Ba′ni, She·re·bi′ah, Ja′min, Ak′kub, Shab′be·thai, Ho·di′ah, Ma·a·sei′ah, Ke·li′ta, Az·a·ri′ah, Jo′za·bad, Ha′nan, and Pe·la′iah, wey be Levites, de explain the Law give the people, and that time the people still stand. 8 And them continue to read loud from the book, from the Law of the true God, them explain-am well and make the meaning clear; so them help the people understand wetin them de read.

9 And Ne·he·mi′ah, wey be governor* that time, Ez′ra wey be priest and wey be person wey de copy book,* and the Levites wey de teach the people tell all the people say: “This day dey holy for Jehovah una God. Make una no mourn or cry.” Because all the people de cry as them hear the things wey dey inside the Law. 10 E tell them say: “Make una go, make una chop the better-better things* and drink wetin dey sweet, and make una send some food to people wey no get; because this day na holy day for our Lord, and make una no feel sad, because the joy wey come from Jehovah de protect una.”* 11 And the Levites de make all the people mind come down, de tell them say: “Make una no cry! Because this day na holy day, and make una no feel sad.” 12 So all the people comot go chop and drink, send food give other people and de happy no be small, because them understand the things wey them tell them.

13 And for the second day, the leaders of the family groups of all the people for their papa side, the priests, and the Levites gather around Ez′ra the person wey de copy book,* so that them go understand more things from wetin the Law talk. 14 Then them see say them write-am for the Law say Jehovah be don use Moses command Israel people say for the time of the festival for the seventh month, make them stay inside tents wey them use leaves make,* 15 and say make them tell everybody and announce-am for all their cities and for the whole of Jerusalem say: “Make una go the areas wey mountains dey and bring the branch of trees wey get leaves from olive trees, pine trees, myrtle and palm trees, and branch of other trees wey get leaves, so that them go use them make tents wey them use leaves make according to wetin them write.”

16 So the people go out and bring them come to make tents wey them use leaves make for theirself, each person do-am ontop im roof, and still make-am for their compounds, for the compound of the house of the true God, for the public place wey near the Water Gate, and for the public place wey near the Gate of E′phra·im. 17 Na so all the people wey come back from where them be slaves before make tents wey them use leaves make and them stay inside the tents because Israel people never do-am like this from the time of Joshua wey be the son of Nun go reach that day, this one come make them happy no be small. 18 And everyday, them de read from the book of the Law of the true God, from the first day go reach the last day. And them do the festival for seven days, and them do holy occasion for the eighth day as them say make them do-am.