< 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.
This is the account of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. In the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was in the fortress at Susa.
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.
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men. I asked them about the remnant of the Jewish exiles who had returned from captivity, and also about 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 told me, “The remnant who are left from the exile are there in the province, but they are having a great deal of trouble and feel humiliated. Jerusalem's walls have been knocked over, and its gates 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 the news, I sat down, weeping and mourning for days, fasting and praying to the God of heaven.
5 Te phoeiah, “Aw, vaan kah Pathen Yahweh, ka om Khohni, Pathen tah len tih rhih om pai. Amah aka lungnah taeng neh a olpaek aka ngaithuen taengah paipi neh sitlohnah a ngaithuen pah.
Then I prayed, “Please, Lord God of heaven—the great and awesome God who keeps his agreement of trustworthy love with those who love him and keep his commandments—
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.
please listen and focus your attention on the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you now, day and night, on behalf of your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that we Israelites have committed against you, including my own sins and those of my family.
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 done terrible things to offend you and we have not kept the commandments, laws, and regulations that you gave to your servant Moses.
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.
Please remember what you told Moses when you said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
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 come back to me and follow my commandments and obey them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will gather them together and bring them to the place I have chosen where I will be honored.
10 Amih te na sal neh na pilnam ni. Te rhoek te na len thadueng neh, na tlungluen kut neh na lat.
They are your servants and our people. You saved them by your great power and incredible ability.
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.
Lord, please respond to my prayer and to the prayers of those who love to worship you. Please let me be successful today and make the king sympathetic to me.” I was the king's cupbearer.