Nehemiah 1
1 Hacaliah capa Nehemiah e lawk teh, Artaxerxes abawinae kum 20, Khislev thapa, siangpahrang khopui Shushan im ka o navah,
[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 ka nawngha Hanani hoi Judah ram e tami tangawn a tho awh teh Judah taminaw san dawk hoi ka hlout ni teh kaawm rae naw hoi, Jerusalem e a kongnaw hah ka pacei.
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 Ahnimouh ni kai koevah, san thung hoi ka tâcawt ni teh hot ram dawk kaawm awh rae naw ni, kalenpounge roedengnae hoi hnephnapnae thung ao awh. Jerusalem rapan pueng a rawp teh longkhanaw hmai koung a kak telah a dei awh.
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 Hote lawk ka thai navah ka tahung teh ka kâ. A hnin moikasawlah ka lung a mathoe teh rawcahai lahoi kalvan kaawm Cathut koe ka ratoum e teh,
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 Oe kalvan kaawm e Jehovah Cathut, kalen ni teh takikatho poung e Cathut, nang lungpataw niteh, na kâpoelawknaw ka tarawi e lathueng vah, lawkkam na kuep sak teh lungmanae kamnueksakkung,
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 Isarelnaw hanelah, na hmalah amom tangmin ka ratoum teh Isarelnaw lah kaawm e kaimouh ni ka sakpayon e yonnaw ka pâpho awh teh ka kâhei awh e naw hah sahnin na thai pouh haw.
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 Kai hoi ka miphunnaw ni ka payon awh toe. Cathut nang koe ka yon awh teh, panuetthopounge hno ka sakpayon awh toe. Na san Mosi koe na poe e kâpoelawknaw, phunglawknaw, lawkcengnaenaw ka tarawi awh hoeh toe.
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 san Mosi koevah yuemkamcu lah na awm awh hoehpawiteh miphun pueng kâkapek sak 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 Hatei kai koe bout na ban awh teh kâpoelawknaw bout na tarawi awh pawiteh kalvan rahim ahla poungnae koe pâlei e lah na o awh nakunghai, hote hmuen koehoi bout na pâkhueng vaiteh ka min o nahan ka rawi e hmuen koe na ceikhai han telah Mosi koe lawk na poe e hah pahnim hanh lah.
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 Atuvah taminaw teh kalenpounge na thaonae hoi karang poung e na kut hoi na ratang e taminaw doeh.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Oe BAWIPA na san ni ratoumnae hoi na min ka bari e na sannaw ratoumnae lawk hah na thai pouh haw. Na san heh sahnin yawhawinae poe haw. Hete tami hmalah minhmai kahawi na hmawt sak haw telah ka ratoum. Hatnavah kai teh siangpahrang e manang kuenkung lah ka o.
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].
