< Nehemiah 1 >
1 Hakaliah capa Nehemiah ih loknawk loe, Susan vangpui ah ka oh nathuem, saning pumphaeto haih, Khislev khrah ah,
[I am] Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. [I am writing] this account [of what I did when I returned to Jerusalem. After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, near the end of that year, I was in Susa, the capital [of Persia].
2 kam nawk maeto Hanani loe thoemto Judah kaminawk hoi nawnto angzoh, to naah nihcae khaeah misong ah kaom Judah kaminawk hoi Jerusalem vangpui kawng to ka dueng.
My brother Hanani came to visit me. He and some other men had just returned from Judah. I queried them about the Jews who were living there, whose [parents] had been (exiled/taken forcefully) [to Babylonia many years previously]. I also asked them about [what was happening in] Jerusalem.
3 Nihcae mah kai khaeah, Misong loih kaminawk hoi prae thungah kaom kaminawk loe paroeai raihaih tong o; Jerusalem tapang loe amtim rup boeh, tapang khongkhanawk doeh hmai mah kang boih boeh, tiah ang thuih o.
They said to me, “The Jews in Jerusalem who returned there from Babylonia are living in a very difficult situation. The walls of the city have been broken down, and even the city gates have been burned down.”
4 To lok to ka thaih naah, anghnut moe, ka qah; ni nazetto maw loe palung ka set moe, buhcaa ai ah, van Sithaw khaeah lawk ka thuih.
When I heard that, I sat down and cried. For several days I mourned, and I (fasted/abstained from eating food), and I prayed to our God, [who is/rules] in heaven.
5 Hae tiah lawk ka thuih, Aw Angraeng, van Sithaw, lensawk moe, zitthok Angraeng, a palung ih kami hoi a paek ih lok tahngai kaminawk khaeah, a lokmaihaih baktih toengah koepsakkung Sithaw,
I said, “Yahweh, [you who are/rule] in heaven, you are a wonderful and awesome God. You keep your promise to faithfully love those who love you and who obey your commands.
6 na tamna, Israel kaminawk hanah, khoving khodai, na hmaa ah, na tamna mah kang thuih ih lok to thaih hanah, na mikpadai ah loe, na naa to patueng raeh; kaicae Israel caanawk mah ka sak o ih zaehaihnawk, kaimah hoi kam pa imthung takoh mah sak ih zaehaihnawk boih na hmaa ah kang taphong.
Now please look down and listen to what I am praying. I pray during the day and at night for your Israeli people. I confess that we Israeli people have sinned. Even my family and I have sinned against you.
7 Na hmaa ah kahoih ai hmuen ka sak o moeng boeh, na tamna Mosi khaeah na paek ih loknawk, daan hoi lok takroekhaihnawk to ka pazui o ai boeh.
We have acted very wickedly. [Many years ago] your servant Moses gave us your laws and all the things you commanded us to do [DOU], but we have not obeyed/done them.
8 Na tamna Mosi khaeah, Zaehaih na sak o nahaeloe, prae kalah kaminawk salakah kam hetsak phang han;
“But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ([heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me]).
9 toe kai khaeah nam laem let moe, ka paek ih loknawk na pazui o pacoengah, na sak o nahaeloe, van tlim ih kangthla koek prae ah na haek o langlacadoeh, to ahmuen hoiah kang tacuu o let moe, ka hmin caksak hanah ka qoih ih ahmuen ah kang hoih o let han, tiah na thuih ih lok to poek let ah.
But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you have been exiled to very remote/distant places on the earth, I will bring you back here [to Israel], the land that I [MTY] have chosen to be honored in.’
10 Vaihiah hae kaminawk hae kalensawk thacakhaih, na ban thacakhaih hoiah na krang ih, na tamna hoi nangmah ih kami ah ni oh o.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Aw Angraeng, na tamna lawkthuihaih hoi na hmin azathaih paek hanah na tamna ih lawkthuihaih lok hae na tahngai pae ah; vaihi na tamna hae tahamhoihaih paek ah; hae kami hmaa ah khosak hoihaih akoepsak ah, tiah lawkthuih.
Yahweh, please hear this prayer of mine, and the prayers of all your people who are delighted to revere you [MTY]. Today I will go to the king, to request that he do me a great favor. Please motivate him to act kindly toward me, in order that I will be successful [in obtaining what I want].” At that time, I was the one whose work was to taste all the food and drink before it was served to the king, [to be sure that no one had put poison in it].