Nehemija 1
1 Povijest Nehemije, sina Hakalijina. Mjeseca Kisleva, dvadesete godine, kad sam bio u Susi,
[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 dođe Hanani, jedan od moje braće, s nekim ljudima iz Judeje. Ja ih zapitah o Židovima - o Ostatku što se spasio od sužanjstva i o Jeruzalemu.
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 Oni mi odgovoriše: “Ostatak, oni koji su nakon sužanjstva ostali u zemlji, u velikoj su nevolji i sramoti. Jeruzalemski je zid sav razoren, a vrata mu ognjem spaljena.”
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 Kad sam čuo te vijesti, sjedoh i zaplakah. Tugovao sam više dana, postio i molio se pred Bogom nebeskim.
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 I rekoh: “O, Jahve, Bože nebeski, veliki i strašni Bože koji čuvaš Savez i naklonost onima koji te ljube i drže zapovijedi tvoje!
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 Neka uho tvoje bude pažljivo i oči tvoje otvorene da čuješ molitvu sluge svoga. Molim ti se sada, danju i noću, za sinove Izraelove, sluge tvoje, i ispovijedam grijehe sinova Izraelovih koje smo učinili protiv tebe; sagriješili smo i ja i kuća oca mojega!
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 Veoma smo zlo činili prema tebi, ne držeći naredaba tvojih, zakona i običaja koje si ti naredio po Mojsiju, sluzi svome.
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 Ali se opomeni riječi koje si povjerio Mojsiju, sluzi svome: 'Ako budete nevjerni, ja ću vas rasuti među narode;
“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 ali ako se obratite meni i budete poštovali moje naredbe i držali ih, budu li neki od vas prognani i nakraj neba, ja ću vas sakupiti i odvesti na mjesto koje sam izabrao da ondje prebiva moje Ime.'
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 A, eto, oni su tvoje sluge i tvoj narod, koji si izbavio svojom velikom moći i snažnom rukom svojom.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Ah, Gospode, neka uho tvoje bude pažljivo na molitvu sluge tvoga, na molitvu slugu tvojih, koji su spremni bojati se tvoga Imena. Smjerno te molim, udijeli danas sreću sluzi svome i učini da nađe milost pred ovim čovjekom.” A ja bijah tada peharnik kraljev.
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].
