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.”
Nehemiya la taa Yahuuda
1 Mansa Atasasita la maraloo sanji muwanjaŋo la, Nisani karoo kono, a la wayinoo* tarata looriŋ a ñaatiliŋo la le. Bituŋ ŋa wayinoo taa, ŋa a dii mansa la. N nene maŋ sunu a ñaatiliŋo la, fo wo luŋ.
2 Bituŋ mansa ko n ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna i ñaa be kuyaariŋ, kaatu i maŋ saasaa? Niikuyaa doroŋ ne si ñiŋ saabu noo.” Bituŋ n silata baake. 3 N ko mansa ye ko, “Allamaa i mee la! Muŋ ne ye a tinna n ñaa te kuyaa la, baawo m mumuñolu be laariŋ saatewo meŋ to, jee be tumbundiŋ ne, aduŋ a dundaŋ daalu bee kasaarata niŋ dimbaa le la?”
4 Bituŋ mansa ko n ye ko, “I lafita muŋ ne la?” Wo le to n duwaata ka Arijana Maarii daani. 5 Bituŋ n ko mansa ye ko, “Niŋ a ye a tara a be ite Mansa kontaani la, aniŋ niŋ a ye a tara i konotoo be diyaa la m fee, ŋa ñiŋ ne daani fo i si m bula ŋa taa Yahuuda. Ŋa taa saatewo to m mumuñolu be laariŋ daameŋ, fo n si a seyinkaŋ loo.”
6 Bituŋ mansa ye n ñininkaa, wo tumoo mansamusoo* be siiriŋ a daala, a ko, “Wo be taa le fo muŋ tuma, aniŋ waati jumaa le i be muru la naŋ?” A sonta le ka m bula ŋa taa, aduŋ ŋa waatoo fo a ye le. 7 Bituŋ ŋa mansa ñininkaa ko, “Mansa, niŋ a be diyaa la i ye, i si leetaroolu dii n na ŋa ì samba Yufurati Baakoo kumandaŋolu ye, fo n si taama noo kayira kono ka taa Yahuuda. 8 M be suula la babaroo la le ka tatoo dundaŋ daalu dadaa, Alla Batudulaa Buŋo* daala, aniŋ babaroo doo fanaa ka saatewo tata sansaŋo wulindi, aniŋ m faŋo be sabati la buŋo meŋ kono. Wo to a be n seewoo la le niŋ leetaroo taata Asafu fanaa kaŋ, meŋ marata mansa la sutoo ma.” Alla neemata m ma le, aduŋ ŋa feŋ-wo-feŋ ñininkaa, mansa ye a bee dii n na le.
9 Mansa ye n niŋ kelediŋ ñaatonkoolu niŋ suuborindilaa kelediŋolu le kii. Bituŋ n naata Yufurati Baakoo kumandaŋolu yaa, ŋa mansa la leetaroolu dii ì la. 10 Samballati Horoninkoo, aniŋ Tobiya Ammoninkoo meŋ ka dookuwo ke mansakundaa ye, kabiriŋ ì ye ñiŋ moyi, ì niyo kuyaata baake le, kaatu moo le naata ka Banisirayilankoolu la kuwo topatoo.
Nehemiya ye Yerusalaamu tata sansaŋo koroosi
11 Bituŋ m futata Yerusalaamu, aduŋ n tarata jee le fo tili saba. 12 Bituŋ n wulita suutoo, n niŋ kee dantaŋ. M maŋ a fo moo ye n na Alla ye kuwo meŋ duŋ n sondomoo kono, Yerusalaamu saatewo ye. Ŋa taamaraŋ beeyaŋ kiliŋ doroŋ ne samba, n ka sele meŋ kaŋ. 13 Suutoo n taata niŋ Wulumbanto Dundaŋ Daa le la. N taata ka tambi Ninkinanka Woyoo to la, ka naa Suntukunto Dundaŋ Daa to. N taatoo ŋa saatewo tata sansaŋo koroosi, meŋ be teyiriŋ, aduŋ dimbaa ye a dundaŋ daalu kasaara le. 14 Bituŋ n tententa ka taa Woyito Dundaŋ Daa to, aniŋ Mansa Daloo to, bari dulaa maŋ soto jee n na beeyaŋo si tambi noo daameŋ to la. 15 Bituŋ n taata niŋ wulumbaŋo to la wo suutoo, ka tata sansaŋo ñiŋ koroosi. Wo le to m muruta ka taa niŋ Wulumbanto Dundaŋ Daa la, n seyita. 16 Bari ñaatonkoolu maŋ a loŋ n taata daameŋ waraŋ n tarata meŋ ke kaŋ. M maŋ feŋ fo foloo, Yahuudoolu ye, piriisoolu*, moo kummaalu, ñaatonkoolu, aniŋ moo toomaalu, mennu ñanta tara la dookuwo kunna.
Sansaŋ tatoo seyinkaŋ loo fota
17 Bituŋ n naata a fo ì ye ko, “Ali ye a je le m̀ be mantooroo meŋ kono. Yerusalaamu fele a tumbummaa le be laariŋ, aduŋ a dundaŋ daalu janita dimbaa le la. Wo to ali naa ŋà saatewo tata sansaŋo seyinkaŋ loo, fo ǹ si bo maloo kono.” 18 Bituŋ ŋa a fo ì ye n na Alla neemata m ma ñaameŋ, aniŋ mansa ye meŋ fo n ye. Ì ye n jaabi ko, “Ali ŋà tatoo seyinkaŋ loo dati.” Bituŋ ì ye ñiŋ dookuu betoo dati.
19 Kabiriŋ Samballati Horoninkoo, Tobiya Ammoninkoo meŋ ka dookuwo ke mansakundaa ye, aniŋ Kesemu Araaboo ye ñiŋ moyi, ì jututa ǹ na le, ka ǹ tooñee. Ì ko ǹ ye ko, “Ali ka muŋ ne ke teŋ? Ali ka balaŋo tiliŋ mansa le la baŋ?” 20 Ŋa ì jaabi ko, “Arijana Maarii be ñaatotaa dii la ǹ na le. Ntolu, a la dookuulaalu le be saatewo seyinkaŋ loo la. Bari alitolu maŋ kara soto, kaŋo, waraŋ aada, Yerusalaamu la kuwo to.”
