Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem
1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was king, I served him his wine, as I had done before. But this was the first time I had ever looked depressed. 2 So the king said, “Why do you look so sad? You're not sick. Something must be bothering you.”
Even though I was frightened, 3 I answered, “Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! I feel sad because the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
4 The king asked, “What do you want me to do?”
I prayed to the God who rules from heaven. 5 Then I told the king, “Sir, if it's all right with you, please send me back to Judah, so that I can rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”
6 The queen was sitting beside the king when he asked me, “How long will it take, and when will you be back?” The king agreed to let me go, and I told him when I would return.
7 Then I asked, “Your Majesty, would you be willing to give me letters to the governors of the provinces west of the Euphrates River, so that I can travel safely to Judah? 8 I will need timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress near the temple and more timber to construct the city wall and to build a place for me to live. And so, I would appreciate a letter to Asaph, who is in charge of the royal forest.” God was good to me, and the king did everything I asked.
9 The king sent some army officers and cavalry troops along with me, and as I traveled through the Western Provinces, I gave the letters to the governors. 10 But when Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about what had happened, they became very angry, because they didn't want anyone to help the people of Israel.
Nehemiah Inspects the Wall of Jerusalem
11 Three days after arriving in Jerusalem, 12 I got up during the night and left my house. I took some men with me, without telling anyone what I thought God wanted me to do for the city. The only animal I took was the donkey I rode on. 13 I went through Valley Gate on the west, then south past Dragon Spring, before coming to Garbage Gate. As I rode along, I took a good look at the crumbled walls of the city and the gates that had been torn down and burned. 14 On the east side of the city, I headed north to Fountain Gate and King's Pool, but then the trail became too narrow for my donkey. 15 So I went down to Kidron Valley and looked at the wall from there. Then before daylight I returned to the city through Valley Gate.
16 None of the city officials knew what I had in mind. And I had not even told any of the Jews—not the priests, the leaders, the officials, or any other Jews who would be helping in the work. 17 But when I got back, I said to them, “Jerusalem is truly in a mess! The gates have been torn down and burned, and everything is in ruins. We must rebuild the city wall so that we can again take pride in our city.”
18 Then I told them how kind God had been and what the king had said.
Immediately, they replied, “Let's start building now!” So they got everything ready.
19 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard about our plans, they started insulting us and saying, “Just look at you! Do you plan to rebuild the walls of the city and rebel against the king?”
20 I answered, “We are servants of the God who rules from heaven, and he will make our work succeed. So we will start rebuilding Jerusalem, but you have no right to any of its property, because you have had no part in its history.”
Nehemia ma i kOjerusalem
1 Eyuva rimwe momueze Nisan wombura oitjamirongo vivari youhona wombara Artakerkes, eye ngunda ama ri ami mbe mu etera omavinu. Eye ke na pe ndji munine amba yumana nai. 2 Ombara arire tji ye ndji pura ai tja: “Okutjavi tji wa yumana nai au haverere? Ngahino u nongendo momutima.”
Ami mba uruma, 3 ne ziri nai: “Omuhona wandje ombara nga hupe orure! Hi nokukara vi nondjenda, otjihuro mu mwa pakwa ootate mukururume ngunda atja nyonoka, nomivero vyatjo avya sesetwa i omuriro?”
4 Ombara arire tji ye ndji pura ai tja: “Otjikeṋa tji movanga?”
Nu ami mba kumba ku Ndjambi weyuru, 5 nu tjazumba e tja nai kombara: “Omuhona ombara tje nonyuṋe mu ami, nu tji ma vanga okundjipa imbi mbi me ningire, nge ndji ese mbi yende kehi ra Juda, kotjihuro ku kwa pakwa ootate mukururume, kokutja mbi ketjitungurure.”
6 Ombara ya zira komaningiriro wandje, oserekaze ngunda aya haama posi yayo. Oyo ye ndji pura kutja me kakara oure mbu ṱa pi, nu me kotoka ruṋe. Ami otji mba raera ombara oruveze ndwa pu ku yo; noyo arire tji ye ndji yandjere okuyenda.
7 Ami mba ningira kombara kutja tji ma vanga me ndji pe otutuu okutwara kozongooneya morukondwa rokongurova kwa Eufrat kutja ve ndji pe ousemba wokuyenda kOjuda. 8 Ami wina mba ningira orutuu okutwara ku Asaf, omuṱakamise wehwa rouhona, ndu maru mu raere kutja e ndji pe omiti vyomivero vyotjiṱunga tji tji tjevera ondjuwo ya Muhona, novyorumbo rwotjihuro, novyondjuwo mu me kakara. Ombara ye ndji pa avihe, mbi mba ningira, Ndjambi tjinga a ri puna ami.
9 Ombara ya hinda ovahongore tjiva votjimbumba tjovita notjira tjovakavire puna ami, nami mba ya kehi rokongurova kwa Eufrat. Ingo oku mba kayandjera otutuu twombara kozongooneya. 10 Nungwari Sanbalat ngwa zire kotjihuro Horon, na Tobija, Omuamoni, omuungurire wouhona, va zuva kutja kwe ya umwe ngu ma ungurire otjiwaṋa tjOvaisrael ouwa. Nowo arire tji va nyengwa tjinene.
11 Ami mba vaza kOjerusalem, ne kakara ngo oure womayuva yetatu. 12 Hi na umwe ku mba raera otjiṋa Ndjambi tje ndji pa momutima okutjitira Jerusalem. Nu mokati kouṱuku mba penduka e toora ovarumendu tjiva mba ri puna ami. Otjinamuinyo tji twa ri na tjo porwatjo tja ri okasino ku mba kavirire. 13 Ngunda e ri ouṱuku arire tji mba zu motjihuro e pitire mOmuvero wOmukutu mbwa ri kuṱa kongurova, ne i komukuma wokeyuva kokumuho okuvarama Oruharwi rwa Dragon nga kOmuvero wOviyaya. Nu ngunda ame kayenda, tjandje me konḓonona orumbo rwotjihuro ndwa haṋika, nomivero mbya sesetwa i omuriro. 14 Okuzambo otji mba ya kOmuvero wOruharwi na kErindi rOmbara. Okasino ku mba kavirire kaake sora okumuna ondjira mokati komawe wotjitambatundu. 15 Otji mba varama oruronḓu Kidron ame konḓonona orumbo. Tjazumba e kotoka nondjira, ndji mbe ya na yo, ne yaruka motjihuro ame hitire mOmuvero wOmukutu.
16 Kapa ri umwe wovahongore votjihuro ngwaa tjiwa koṋa ku mba ire, noviṋa mbi mba katjitire. Nga nai ami hi na pu mba hungira otjiṋa ku ngamwa Ovajuda ovakwetu, imba ovapristeri novanane novahongore poo ku ngamwa auhe ngwaa yenene okuvatera moviungura. 17 Nungwari ami mba tja nai ku wo: “Tareye oumba mu tu ri mbwi! Jerusalem tja nyonwa, nomivero vya haṋewa. Ngatu tungurure orumbo rwotjihuro, tu yandise ohoṋi yetu.” 18 Ami mbe ve raera kutja Ndjambi wa kara puna ami, nokutja we ndji vatera; nu wina mbe ve raera imbi ombara mbi ya hungira ku ami.
Owo va zira ave tja: “Ngatu ute okutungurura.” Nowo ve rirongerera okuuta oviungura.
19 Nu ooSanbalat na Tobija nOmuraba wena Gesem tji va zuva imbi mbi twe ripura okutjita, ve tu yora ave tja: “Mamu ripura okuungura tjike? Mamu vanga okupirukira ombara are?”
20 Ami mba zira nai: “Ndjambi weyuru me tu pe outoṋi. Oweṱe ovakarere ve, nu matu utu okutunga. Nungwari eṋe kamu nousemba nouini mOjerusalem, nu kamu norupa mongaro novitjitwa vyomuhoko!”
