Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
1In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’
I was very much afraid, 3but I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’
4The king said to me, ‘What is it you want?’
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favour in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.’
6Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?’ It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
7I also said to him, ‘If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?’ And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah inspects Jerusalem’s walls
11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13By night I went out through the Valley Gate towards the Jackal2:13 Or Serpent or Fig Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14Then I moved on towards the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and re-entered through the Valley Gate. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’ 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’
20I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.’
Aritasasita Atumiza Nehemiya ku Yerusalemu
1Pa mwezi wa Nisani, mʼchaka cha makumi awiri cha ufumu wa Aritasasita, atabwera ndi vinyo pamaso pa mfumu ine ndinatenga vinyoyo ndi kupereka kwa mfumu. Koma ndinali ndisanakhalepo ndi nkhope yachisoni pamaso pake. 2Tsono mfumu inandifunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani nkhope yako ikuoneka yachisoni pamene iwe sukudwala? Ichi si chinthu china koma chisoni cha mu mtima.”
Ine ndinachita mantha kwambiri. 3Ndinawuza mfumu kuti, “Mfumu ikhale ndi moyo wamuyaya! Kodi nkhope yanga ilekerenji kuoneka yachisoni pamene mzinda umene kuli manda a makolo anga, wasanduka bwinja ndipo zipata zake zinawonongedwa ndi moto?”
4Apo mfumu inandifunsa kuti, “Tsono ukufuna kundipempha chiyani?”
Ndipo ine ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu Wakumwamba. 5Ndipo ndinayankha kuti, “Ngati amfumu chingakukondweretseni, ngati mungakomere mtima mtumiki wanune, mundilole kuti ndipite ku Yuda, ku mzinda kumene kuli manda a makolo anga kuti ndikawumangenso.”
6Tsono mfumu, mfumukazi itakhala pambali pake, anandifunsa kuti, “Kodi kumeneko ukakhalako masiku angati ndipo udzabwera liti?” Ndinayiwuza mfumu nthawi yake ndipo inandilola kuti ndipite.
7Ndipo ndinatinso kwa mfumu, “Ngati zikondweretse mfumu, mundipatse makalata oti ndikapereke kwa abwanamkubwa a ku chigawo cha Patsidya pa Yufurate, kuti akandilole kudutsa mwamtendere mpaka nditakafika ku Yuda. 8Mundipatsenso kalata yokapereka kwa Asafu woyangʼanira nkhalango ya mfumu, kuti akandipatse mitengo yokapangira mitanda ya zipata za nsanja yoteteza Nyumba ya Mulungu, mitanda ya khoma la mzinda ndi ya nyumba yokhalamo ine.” Mfumu indipatse zomwe ndinapempha popeza Yehova wokoma mtima anali nane. 9Choncho ndinanyamuka ulendo wanga ndipo ndinafika kwa abwanamkubwa a chigawo cha Patsidya pa Yufurate ndipo ndinawapatsa makalata a mfumu. Mfumu nʼkuti itatumiza akulu ankhondo ndi okwera pa akavalo kuti atsagane nane.
10Sanibalati wa ku Horoni ndi Tobiya wa ku Amoni atamva zimenezi, iwo anayipidwa kwambiri kuti wina wabwera kudzachitira zabwino Aisraeli.
Nehemiya Ayendera Makoma a Yerusalemu
11Ndinafika ku Yerusalemu, ndipo ndinakhala kumeneko masiku atatu. 12Sindinawuze munthu aliyense za zimene Yehova anayika mu mtima mwanga kuti ndichitire mzinda wa Yerusalemu. Choncho ndinanyamuka usiku pamodzi ndi anthu ena owerengeka. Ndinalibe bulu wina aliyense kupatula amene ndinakwerapo.
13Ndinatuluka usiku podzera ku Chipata cha ku Chigwa ndi kuyenda kupita ku Chitsime cha Chirombo Chamʼmadzi mpaka ku Chipata cha Zinyalala. Ndinayangʼana makoma a Yerusalemu, amene anagwetsedwa, ndi zipata zake, zimene zinawonongedwa ndi moto. 14Kenaka ndinapita ku Chipata cha Kasupe ndi ku Dziwe la Mfumu. Koma panalibe malo okwanira akuti bulu wanga adutse. 15Kotero usikuwo ndinapita ku chigwa, ndikuyangʼana khomalo. Pomaliza ndinabwerera ndi kukalowanso mu mzinda kudzera ku Chipata cha ku Chigwa. 16Akuluakulu sanadziwe kumene ndinapita kapena zimene ndimachita, chifukwa pa nthawiyi nʼkuti ndisananene kalikonse kwa Ayuda kapena ansembe, anthu olemekezeka kapena akuluakulu, kapena wina aliyense amene anali woyenera kugwira ntchitoyi.
17Ndinawawuza kuti, “Inu mukuona mavuto amene tili nawo. Mukuona kuti mzinda wa Yerusalemu wasanduka bwinja ndipo zipata zake zatenthedwa ndi moto. Tsono tiyeni timangenso makoma a Yerusalemu ndipo sitidzachitanso manyazi.” 18Ndinawawuza za mmene Yehova Mulungu wanga anandichitira zabwino ndiponso mawu amene mfumu inandiwuza.
Tsono anati, “Tiyeni tiyambenso kumanga.” Kotero analimbitsana mtima kuti ayambenso ntchito yabwinoyi.
19Koma Sanibalati wa ku Horoni, Tobiya wa ku Amoni ndi Gesemu Mwarabu atamva zimenezi, anatiseka ndi kutinyoza. Iwo anafunsa kuti, “Kodi muti ndi chiyani chimene mukuchitachi? Kodi mufuna kuwukira mfumu?”
20Koma ndinawayankha kuti, “Mulungu Wakumwamba atithandiza kuti zinthu zitiyendere bwino. Ife antchito ake tiyambapo kumanga. Koma inu mulibe gawo lanu muno mu Yerusalemu. Mulibe chokuyenerezani kulandira malo ano. Mulibenso chilichonse muno chokumbutsa za inu.”
