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Nagkadto si Nehemias sa Jerusalem

Sang nahauna nga bulan, nga amo ang bulan sang Nisan, sadtong ika-20 nga tuig sang paghari ni Artaserkses, nagserbi ako sang bino sa hari. Sadto lang niya ako nakita nga masubo. Gani ginpamangkot niya ako, “Ngaa masinulub-on ka nga wala ka man sing sakit? Siguro may problema ka.” Kinulbaan gid ako, pero nagsabat ako sa hari, “Kabay pa nga magkabuhi ka sing malawig, Mahal nga Hari. Masinulub-on ako tungod kay ang siyudad nga ginlubngan sang akon mga katigulangan guba kag ang mga puwertahan sini sunog.” Nagpamangkot ang hari, “Ti, ano ang imo gusto?” Nagpangamuyo ako sa Dios sang langit,[a] kag pagkatapos nagsabat ako sa hari, “Kon puwede, Mahal nga Hari, kag kon nalipay ka sa akon, gusto ko kuntani nga magpauli sa Juda, agod patindugon liwat ang siyudad nga sa diin ginlubong ang akon mga katigulangan.”

Nagpamangkot sa akon ang hari samtang ang rayna nagapungko sa iya tupad, “Ano ka kadugay didto, kag san-o ka mabalik?” Nagsiling ako kon san-o ako mabalik, kag ginsugtan niya ako. Nagpangabay man ako sa hari, “Kon puwede, Mahal nga Hari, hatagi ako sang mga sulat para sa mga gobernador sang probinsya sa nakatundan sang Eufrates, agod tugutan nila ako nga mag-agi sa ila teritoryo sa akon nga pagpauli sa Juda. Kag kon mahimo hatagi man ako sang sulat para kay Asaf, ang nagabantay sang imo kakahuyan, agod hatagan niya ako sang mga kahoy nga gamiton sa paghimo sang puwertahan sang mabakod nga kuta sa tupad sang templo, kag sa pagpatindog sang pader sang siyudad kag sang balay nga akon pagaestaran.” Gintuman sang hari ang akon mga ginpangabay sa iya tungod sa kaayo sang Dios sa akon.

Sang paghalin ko, ginpaupdan pa ako sang hari sang mga opisyal sang mga soldado kag sang mga manugkabayo. Kag pag-abot ko sa nakatundan sang Eufrates, ginhatag ko sa mga gobernador ang sulat sang hari. 10 Pero sang mabatian ni Sanbalat nga taga-Horon kag ni Tobia nga isa ka opisyal nga Ammonhon nga nag-abot ako sa pagbulig sa mga Israelinhon, naakig gid sila.

Gintan-aw ni Nehemias ang mga Pader sang Jerusalem

11 Pagkaligad sang tatlo ka adlaw halin sang pag-abot ko sa Jerusalem, 12 naglakat ako sang tungang gab-i upod sang pila ko ka mga kaupdanan. Wala ko ginsugid bisan kay sin-o ang nabatyagan ko nga gusto ipahimo sang Dios sa akon parte sa Jerusalem. Wala ako sing iban nga sapat nga dala luwas lang gid sa asno nga akon ginasakyan. 13 Nagguwa ako sa Puwertahan nga Nagaatubang sa Pulopatag kag nagkadto sa Bubon sang Dragon[b] hasta sa may Puwertahan sang Ginahabuyan sang Basura. Gintan-aw ko sing maayo ang naguba nga mga pader sang Jerusalem kag ang mga puwertahan sini nga nagkalasunog. 14 Nagpadayon ako sa Puwertahan nga Pakadto sa Tuburan hasta sa palaligusan sang hari, pero indi didto makaagi ang akon asno. 15 Gani nagtaklad na lang ako sa Kidron nga ililigan sang tubig, kag sige ang akon tan-aw sang mga pader sadto nga gab-i. Pagkatapos nagbalik ako kag didto liwat nag-agi sa Puwertahan nga Nagaatubang sa Pulopatag.

16 Wala nakahibalo ang mga opisyal sang siyudad kon diin ako naghalin kag kon ano ang akon ginhimo. Kay wala pa gid ako sing may ginsugiran nga Judio parte sa akon plano, bisan ang mga pari, mga pangulo, mga opisyal, kag ang iban pa nga ara sa administrasyon.

17 Pero karon nagsiling ako sa ila, “Nakita ninyo ang makaluluoy nga kahimtangan sang aton siyudad. Guba ang Jerusalem kag sunog ang iya mga puwertahan. Patindugon naton liwat ang mga pader sang Jerusalem agod indi na kita mahuy-an.” 18 Ginsilingan ko man sila kon daw ano kaayo sang Dios sa akon kag kon ano ang ginsiling sang hari sa akon. Nagsabat sila, “Sige, patindugon naton liwat ang mga pader.” Gani nagpreparar sila agod umpisahan ining maayo nga buluhaton.

19 Pero sang mabalitaan ini ni Sanbalat nga taga-Horon, ni Tobia nga isa ka opisyal nga Ammonhon, kag ni Geshem nga Arabo, ginyaguta nila kami kag ginkadlawan. Nagsiling sila, “Ano inang inyo ginahimo? Nagaplano bala kamo sa pagrebelde sa hari?” 20 Ginsabat ko sila, “Magmadinalag-on kami paagi sa bulig sang Dios sang langit. Kami nga iya mga alagad magaumpisa sa pagpatindog sang mga pader sang Jerusalem. Pero kamo wala gid sing labot ukon kinamatarong sa Jerusalem, kag wala man kamo sing bahin sa iya kasaysayan.”

Footnotes

  1. 2:4 Dios sang langit: ukon, Dios nga ara sa langit; ukon, Dios nga naghimo sang langit; ukon, Dios nga labaw sa tanan.
  2. 2:13 Dragon: ukon, Man-og; ukon, Jackal.

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) 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, so 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, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!(B) Why should my face not look sad when the city(C) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?(D)

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Then the king(E), 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.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(F) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And 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(G) 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,(H) the king granted my requests.(I) So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry(J) with me.

10 When Sanballat(K) the Horonite and Tobiah(L) the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.(M)

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days(N) 12 I 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.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate(O) toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate,(P) examining the walls(Q) of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate(R) and the King’s Pool,(S) but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The 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.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.(T) Come, let us rebuild the wall(U) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(V) 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me(W) and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

19 But when Sanballat(X) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem(Y) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.(Z) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,(AA) but as for you, you have no share(AB) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:13 Or Serpent or Fig

And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.