Níxīmǐjì 8

1 Dào le qī yuè , Yǐsèliè rén zhù zaì zìjǐ de chéng lǐ . nàshí , tāmen rútóng yī rén jùjí zaì shuǐ mén qián de kuānkuò chù , qǐng Wénshì Yǐsīlá , jiāng Yēhéhuá jiè Móxī chuán gĕi Yǐsèliè rén de lǜfǎ shū daì lái .

2 Qī yuè chū yī rì , jìsī Yǐsīlá jiāng lǜfǎ shū , daì dào tīng le néng míngbai de nánnǚ huì zhòng miànqián .

3 Zaì shuǐ mén qián de kuānkuò chù , cóng qīngzǎo dào shǎngwu , zaì zhòng nánnǚ , yīqiè tīng le néng míngbai de rén miànqián dú zhè lǜfǎ shū . zhòng mín zhāi ĕr ér tīng .

4 Wénshì Yǐsīlá zhàn zaì wèi zhè shì tè beì de mù tái shang . Mǎtātíyǎ , Shìmǎ , Yànaìyǎ , Wūlìyà , Xīlèjiā , hé Mǎxīyǎ zhàn zaì tāde yòubiān . Pídàyǎ , Mǐshālì , Mǎjīyǎ , Hāshùn , Hābádàná , Sājiālìyà , hé Mǐshūlán zhàn zaì tāde zuǒbiān .

5 Yǐsīlá zhàn zaì zhòng mín yǐshàng , zaì zhòng mín yǎnqián shaì kāi zhè shū . tā yī zhǎn kāi , zhòng mín jiù dōu zhàn qǐlai .

6 Yǐsīlá chēngsòng Yēhéhuá zhì dà de shén . zhòng mín dōu jǔ shǒu yìngshēng shuō , āmén , āmén , jiù dī tóu , miàn fú yú dì , jìngbaì Yēhéhuá .

7 Yéshūyà , Bāní , Shìlìbǐ, Yǎǐn , Yàgǔ , Shābǐtaì , Hédìyǎ , Mǎxīyǎ ,Jīlìtā , Yàsālìyǎ , Yuēsǎbá , Hānán , Píláiyǎ , hé Lìwèi rén shǐ bǎixìng míngbai lǜfǎ . bǎixìng dōu zhàn zaì zìjǐ de dìfang .

8 Tāmen qīng qīngchu chǔ dì niàn shén de lǜfǎ shū , jiǎng míng yìsi , shǐ bǎixìng míngbai suǒ niàn de .

9 Shĕng zhǎng Níxīmǐ hé zuò jìsī de Wénshì yǐ sī lā , bìng jiàoxun bǎixìng de Lìwèi rén , duì zhòng mín shuō , jīnrì shì Yēhéhuá nǐmen shén de shèng rì , búyào bēiāi kūqì . zhè shì yīnwei zhòng mín tīngjian lǜfǎ shū shang de huà dōu kū le .

10 Yòu duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen qù chī féimĕi de , hē gān tián de , yǒu bùnéng yùbeì de , jiù fēn gĕi tā . yīnwei jīnrì shì wǒmen zhǔ de shèng rì . nǐmen búyào yōuchóu , yīn kào Yēhéhuá ér dé de xǐlè shì nǐmen de lìliang .

11 Yúshì Lìwèi rén shǐ zhòng mín jìngmò , shuō , jīnrì shì shèng rì . búyào zuò shēng , yĕ búyào yōuchóu .

12 Zhòng mín dōu qù chī hē , yĕ fēn gĕi rén , dàdà kuaìlè , yīnwei tāmen míngbai suǒ jiàoxun tāmende huà .

13 Cì rì , zhòng mín de zúzhǎng , jìsī , hé Lìwèi rén dōu jùjí dào Wénshì Yǐsīlá nàli , yào liú xīn tīng lǜfǎ shang de huà .

14 Tāmen jiàn lǜfǎ shang xiĕ zhe , Yēhéhuá jiè Móxī fēnfu Yǐsèliè rén yào zaì qī yuè jié zhù péng ,

15 Bìng yào zaì gè chéng hé Yēlùsǎlĕng xuānchuán bàogào shuō , nǐmen dāng shang shān , jiāng gǎnlǎn shù , yĕ gǎnlǎn shù , pān shíliu shù , zōng shù , hé gèyàng mào mì shù de zhīzǐ qǔ lái , zhào zhe suǒ xiĕ de dā péng .

16 Yúshì bǎixìng chū qù , qǔ le shùzhī lái , gèrén zaì zìjǐ de fáng dǐng shang , huò yuàn neì , huò shén diàn de yuàn neì , huò shuǐ mén de kuānkuò chù , huò Yǐfǎlián mén de kuānkuò chù dā péng .

17 Cóng lǔ dào zhī dì guī huí de quánhuì zhòng jiù dā péng , zhù zaì péng lǐ . cóng nèn de érzi Yuēshūyà de shíhou zhídào zhè rì , Yǐsèliè rén méiyǒu zhèyàng xíng . yúshì zhòngrén dàdà xǐlè .

18 Cóng tóu yī tiān , zhídào mò yī tiān , Yǐsīlá mĕi rì niàn shén de lǜfǎ shū . zhòngrén shǒu jié qī rì , dì bá rì zhàolì yǒu yán sù huì .

Níxīmǐjì 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The reading and expounding the law. (1-8) The people called upon to be joyful. (9-12) The feast of tabernacles, The joy of the people. (13-18)

Verses 1-8 Sacrifices were to be offered only at the door of the temple; but praying and preaching were, and are, services of religion, as acceptably performed in one place as in another. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore to acquaint themselves with the word of God, and to attend on the means of grace. Little ones, as they come to reason, must be trained up in religion. Ministers when they go to the pulpit, should take their Bibles with them; Ezra did so. Thence they must fetch their knowledge; according to that rule they must speak, and must show that they do so. Reading the Scriptures in religious assemblies is an ordinance of God, whereby he is honoured, and his church edified. Those who hear the word, should understand it, else it is to them but an empty sound of words. It is therefore required of teachers that they explain the word, and give the sense of it. Reading is good, and preaching is good, but expounding makes reading the better understood, and preaching the more convincing. It has pleased God in almost every age of the church to raise up, not only those who have preached the gospel, but also those who have given their views of Divine truth in writing; and though many who have attempted to explain Scripture, have darkened counsel by words without knowledge, yet the labours of others are of excellent use. All that we hear must, however, be brought to the test of Scripture. They heard readily, and minded every word. The word of God demands attention. If through carelessness we let much slip in hearing, there is danger that through forgetfulness we shall let all slip after hearing.

Verses 9-12 It was a good sign that their hearts were tender, when they heard the words of the law. The people were to send portions to those for whom nothing was prepared. It is the duty of a religious feast, as well as of a religious fast, to draw out the soul to the hungry; God's bounty should make us bountiful. We must not only give to those that offer themselves, but send to those out of sight. Their strength consisted in joy in the Lord. The better we understand God's word, the more comfort we find in it; the darkness of trouble arises from the darkness of ignorance.

Verses 13-18 They found written in the law about the feast of tabernacles. Those who diligently search the Scriptures, find things written there which they have forgotten. This feast of tabernacles was a representation of the believer's tabernacle state in this world, and a type of the holy joy of the gospel church. The conversion of the nations to the faith of Christ, is foretold under the figure of this feast, ( Zechariah 14:16 ) . True religion will render us strangers and pilgrims upon earth. We read and hear the word acceptably and profitably, when we do according to what is written therein; when what appears to be our duty is revived, after it has been neglected. They minded the substance; else the ceremony had been of no use. They did it, rejoicing in God and his goodness. These are the means which the Spirit of God crowns with success, in bringing the hearts of sinners to tremble and to become humbled before God. But those are enemies to their own growth in holiness, who always indulge sorrow, even for sin, and put away from them the consolations tendered by the word and Spirit of God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH 8

Ezra being desired to bring forth the book of the law, read it to the people and others, expounded it to them, Ne 8:1-8 and Nehemiah exhorted the people to express joy and gladness on this occasion, which they did, Ne 8:9-12 and observing the feast of tabernacles was in the law commanded to be observed, they kept it very strictly and joyfully, Ne 8:13-18.