1 Ndika olyo ehokololo ndyoka Nehemia omuna gwaHakalia a tsakanitha.
Nehemia ti ipyakidhilile Jerusalem
Momwedhi Kislev momumvo omutimilongombali sho Artakserkses a li omupangeli gwaPersia, ngame onda li moshilandohote Susa. 2 Hanani, gumwe gwomaamwameme, okwa thiki mo a zi kuJuda e li pamwe nongundu yaalumentu ooyakwawo. Ngame onde ya pula kombinga yaJerusalem noyAajuda ooyakwetu mboka ya zi muupika muBabilon. 3 Oya hokololele ndje kutya mboka ya hupile ko noya galukile kevi lyooyina, oye li muudhigu uunene, naakwiilongo mboka ye li puyo, otaye ya tala nondhino. Oya hokololele ndje ishewe kutya omadhingililokuma gaJerusalem oga kumunwa po, nomiyelo dhasho inadhi longwa we, hela dha fikilwe po. 4 Sho nda kundana ayihe mbika, onda gwile po e te lili.
Onda lili omasiku ogendji nondi idhilike iikulya. Onda galikana Kalunga nda ti: 5 “Omuwa, Kalunga komegulu! Ongoye omunene, tse otatu ku tila. Ongoye to dhiginine ehangano lyoye naamboka ye ku hole e taa gwanitha shoka wa ti. 6 Tala ndje, Omuwa, ngoye u uve omagalikano gandje, sho te galikanene aantu yoye Aaisraeli omutenya nuusiku. Otandi hempulula kutya tse Aaisraeli otwa yona. Onda yono pamwe nootatekulu. 7 Otwa ningi nayi, sho twa tsu ondumbo nangoye tse inatu gwanitha shoka wa ti. Inatu dhiginina iipango mbyoka we yi tu pele ye endele muMoses, omuntu gwoye. 8 Ngashingeyi dhimbulukwa shoka wa lombwelele Moses to ti: ‘Ngele ne Aaisraeli tamu iteka ndje, otandi mu halakanithile mokati kiigwana. 9 Ihe ngele otamu galukile kungame e tamu ningi shoka nde mu lombwele, otandi ke mu fala kehala ndyoka nde li hogolola, ndi simanekelwe mo, nonando mu kale mwa halakanithilwa sigo okooha dhuuyuni.’
10 “Omuwa, mbaka aapiya yoye, aantu yoyelela, ongoye we ya mangulula koonkondo dhoye oonene nokomatha goye. 11 Ano ngashingeyi pulakena egalikano lyandje nomagalikano gaapiya yoye yalwe mboka ya hala oku ku simaneka. Nena ndjika monitha ndje elago, opo omupangeli a etele ndje olukeno.”
Pethimbo ndiyaka onda li omupindi gwoondjupa dhuuwa.
1 This is the account of what Nehemiah son of Hacaliah accomplished.
Nehemiah's Concern for Jerusalem
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, I, Nehemiah, was in Susa, the capital city. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived from Judah with another group, and I asked them about Jerusalem and about the other Jews who had returned from exile in Babylonia. 3 They told me that those who had survived and were back in the homeland were in great difficulty and that the foreigners who lived nearby looked down on them. They also told me that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down and that the gates had not been restored since the time they were burned. 4 When I heard all this, I sat down and wept.
For several days I mourned and did not eat. I prayed to God, 5 “Lord God of Heaven! You are great, and we stand in fear of you. You faithfully keep your covenant with those who love you and do what you command. 6 Look at me, Lord, and hear my prayer, as I pray day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess that we, the people of Israel, have sinned. My ancestors and I have sinned. 7 We have acted wickedly against you and have not done what you commanded. We have not kept the laws which you gave us through Moses, your servant. 8 Remember now what you told Moses: ‘If you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the other nations. 9 But then if you turn back to me and do what I have commanded you, I will bring you back to the place where I have chosen to be worshiped, even though you are scattered to the ends of the earth.’
10 “Lord, these are your servants, your own people. You rescued them by your great power and strength. 11 Listen now to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to honor you. Give me success today and make the emperor merciful to me.”
In those days I was the emperor's wine steward.
