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Aritasasita Atumiza Nehemiya ku Yerusalemu

Pa 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. Tsono 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. Ndinawuza 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?”

Apo mfumu inandifunsa kuti, “Tsono ukufuna kundipempha chiyani?”

Ndipo ine ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu Wakumwamba. Ndipo 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.”

Tsono mfumu, mfumukazi itakhala pambali pake, anandifunsa kuti, “Kodi kumeneko ukakhalako masiku angati ndipo udzabwera liti?” Ndinayiwuza mfumu nthawi yake ndipo inandilola kuti ndipite.

Ndipo 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. Mundipatsenso 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. Choncho 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.

10 Sanibalati wa ku Horoni ndi Tobiya wa ku Amoni atamva zimenezi, iwo anayipidwa kwambiri kuti wina wabwera kudzachitira zabwino Aisraeli.

Nehemiya Ayendera Makoma a Yerusalemu

11 Ndinafika ku Yerusalemu, ndipo ndinakhala kumeneko masiku atatu. 12 Sindinawuze 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.

13 Ndinatuluka 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. 14 Kenaka ndinapita ku Chipata cha Kasupe ndi ku Dziwe la Mfumu. Koma panalibe malo okwanira akuti bulu wanga adutse. 15 Kotero usikuwo ndinapita ku chigwa, ndikuyangʼana khomalo. Pomaliza ndinabwerera ndi kukalowanso mu mzinda kudzera ku Chipata cha ku Chigwa. 16 Akuluakulu 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.

17 Ndinawawuza 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.” 18 Ndinawawuza za mmene Yehova Mulungu wanga anandichitira zabwino ndiponso mawu amene mfumu inandiwuza.

Tsono anati, “Tiyeni tiyambenso kumanga.” Kotero analimbitsana mtima kuti ayambenso ntchito yabwinoyi.

19 Koma 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?”

20 Koma 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.”

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