They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. Nehemiah 8:8 HCSB
God allowed me to be a part of a mission trip to Belarus where I led Sunday School leadership conferences to help youth leaders understand how they could more effectively teach God’s Word to teenagers. Since I did not speak their native language, I needed a translator. He translated what I said so the people could understand me then translated what the people said so I could understand them.
The Levites were knowledgable of the Scriptures and capable of translating them to a language the people could understand. Most of the people spoke Aramaic, but the Scriptures that were being read were written in Hebrew. Therefore, the people needed a translator to help them understand what God wanted them to do.
Challenge: Most of us are fortunate to have a Bible that we can read and understand. Sometimes we need to use other resources to help us understand the meaning of what was written. There are many people around us every day who are able to read God’s Word, but they really do not understand what it means. Is there someone in your life for whom you need to translate to help them understand how God loves them and gave His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for their sins? Pray for an opportunity to help others understand God’s faithfulness and never-ending love and compassion.