Nehemiah 1
1 Hakaliah capa Nehemiah ol khaw kum kul Kislev hla vaengah om coeng. Te vaengah kai tah Shushan rhalmah im ah ka om.
[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 Te vaengah ka manuca rhoek khuikah pakhat Hanani ha pawk. Amah neh Judah lamkah hlang rhoek khaw om. Amih taengah tamna lamloh aka sueng rhalyong Judah kawng neh Jerusalem kawng te ka dawt.
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 Te vaengah paeng khuikah yoethae len khui neh kokhahnah khuiah tamna lamkah aka sueng, aka sueng rhoek loh kai taengah, “Jerusalem vongtung tim tih a vongka khaw hmai neh a hlup uh coeng,” a ti uh.
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 He ol he ka yaak vaengah ka ngol tih ka rhap. Khohniyung ah ka nguekcoi neh ka om. Vaan Pathen mikhmuh ah ka yaeh tih ka thangthui.
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 Te phoeiah, “Aw, vaan kah Pathen, YAHWEH Pathen tah len tih rhih om pai. Amah aka lungnah taeng neh a olpaek aka ngaithuen taengah paipi neh sitlohnah a ngaithuen pah.
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 sal kah thangthuinah te yaak hamla na hna khui tih na mik aka dai la om laeh. Kai he tihnin ah khaw na sal Israel ca ham khoyin khothaih na mikhmuh ah ka thangthui coeng. Namah taengah ka tholh uh bangla Israel ca kah tholhnah te kam phoe. Kamah neh a pa imkhui khaw ka tholh uh coeng.
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 taengah laikoi la ka laikoi uh coeng tih na sal Moses taengah na uen olpaek neh oltlueh khaw, laitloeknah khaw ka ngaithuen uh pawh.
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 sal Moses ol na uen tih, ‘Boe na koek uh dongah nangmih te pilnam lakli ah kan taekyak ni,’ na ti nah te thoelh laeh.
“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 Tedae kai taengla na mael uh tih ka olpaek he ngaithuen neh na vai atah vaan khobawt la nangmih aka heh te om cakhaw amih te, te lamloh ka coi vetih ka ming om sak ham ka coelh hmuen la amih te pahoi ka khuen rhoe ka khuen ni,’ na ti.
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 Amih te na sal neh na pilnam ni. Te rhoek te na len thadueng neh, na tlungluen kut neh na lat.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Ka Boeipa aw, na sal rhoek kah thangthuinah taengah khaw na ming rhih ham aka omtoem na sal rhoek kah thangthuinah dongah na hna aka khui sak la om laeh. Tihnin kah na sal te khaw thaihtak sak laeh. Anih te hlang mikhmuh ah haidamnah neh pae,” ka ti. Te vaengah kai tah manghai taengah tuitul kung la ka om.
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].
