Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem
1 One day four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him. He had never seen me look sad before, 2 so he asked, “Why are you looking so sad? You aren't sick, so it must be that you're unhappy.”
I was startled 3 and answered, “May Your Majesty live forever! How can I keep from looking sad when the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 The emperor asked, “What is it that you want?”
I prayed to the God of Heaven, 5 and then I said to the emperor, “If Your Majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.”
6 The emperor, with the empress sitting at his side, approved my request. He asked me how long I would be gone and when I would return, and I told him.
7 Then I asked him to grant me the favor of giving me letters to the governors of West-of-Euphrates Province, instructing them to let me travel to Judah. 8 I asked also for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, instructing him to supply me with timber for the gates of the fort that guards the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house I was to live in. The emperor gave me all I asked for, because God was with me.
9 The emperor sent some army officers and a troop of cavalry with me, and I made the journey to West-of-Euphrates. There I gave the emperor's letters to the governors. 10 But Sanballat, from the town of Beth Horon, and Tobiah, an official in the province of Ammon, heard that someone had come to work for the good of the people of Israel, and they were highly indignant.
11 I went on to Jerusalem, and for three days 12 I did not tell anyone what God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem. Then in the middle of the night I got up and went out, taking a few of my companions with me. The only animal we took was the donkey that I rode on. 13 It was still night as I left the city through the Valley Gate on the west and went south past Dragon's Fountain to the Rubbish Gate. As I went, I inspected the broken walls of the city and the gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then on the east side of the city I went north to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool. The donkey I was riding could not find any path through the rubble, 15 so I went down into Kidron Valley and rode along, looking at the wall. Then I returned the way I had come and went back into the city through the Valley Gate.
16 None of the local officials knew where I had gone or what I had been doing. So far I had not said anything to any of the other Jews—the priests, the leaders, the officials, or anyone else who would be taking part in the work. 17 But now I said to them, “See what trouble we are in because Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates are destroyed! Let's rebuild the city walls and put an end to our disgrace.” 18 And I told them how God had been with me and helped me, and what the emperor had said to me.
They responded, “Let's start rebuilding!” And they got ready to start the work.
19 When Sanballat, Tobiah, and an Arab named Geshem heard what we were planning to do, they laughed at us and said, “What do you think you're doing? Are you going to rebel against the emperor?”
20 I answered, “The God of Heaven will give us success. We are his servants, and we are going to start building. But you have no right to any property in Jerusalem, and you have no share in its traditions.”
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.”
