Nehemiah 2
1 Now it happened that, in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, wine was before him; and I lifted up the wine, and I gave it to the king. And I was like someone languishing before his face.
Katika mwezi wa Nisani, katika mwaka wa ishirini wa mfalme Artashasta, alichagua divai, na nikachukua divai na kumpa mfalme. Sasa sikuwahi kusikitikaa mbele yake.
2 And the king said to me: “Why is your expression sad, though you do not appear to be sick? This is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in your heart.” And I was struck with an exceedingly great fear.
Lakini mfalme akaniambia, “Kwa nini uso wako una huzuni? Hauonekani kuwa mgonjwa. Hii lazima iwe huzuni ya moyo.” Kisha nikaogopa sana.
3 And I said to the king: “O king, live forever. Why should my expression not be mournful, since the city of the house of the sepulchers of my father is desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire?”
Nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme aishi milele! Kwa nini uso wangu usiwe na huzuni? ikiwa mji, mahali pa makaburi ya baba yangu, uko katika magofu, na malango yake yameharibiwa kwa moto.”
4 And the king said to me: “What would you request?” And I prayed to the God of heaven.
Ndipo mfalme akaniambia, “Unataka nini nifanye?” Kwa hiyo nikamwomba Mungu wa mbinguni.
5 And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before your face: that you would send me into Judea, to the city of the sepulcher of my father. And I will rebuild it.”
Nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme akiona vema, na ikiwa mtumishi wako amefanya vizuri machoni pako, unaweza kunituma Yuda, mji wa kaburi za baba zangu, ili nipate kuujenga tena.”
6 And the king said to me, with the queen who was sitting beside him: “Until what time will your journey be, and when will you return?” And it was pleasing before the countenance of the king, and so he sent me. And I established a time for him.
Mfalme akanijibu (na malkia pia alikuwa amekaa karibu naye), “Utakaa kawa muda gani mpaka urudi?” Mfalme akaona vema kunipeleka nami nikampka muda.
7 And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, may he give me letters to the governors of the region beyond the river, so that they may lead me through, until I arrive in Judea,
Ndipo nikamwambia mfalme, “Ikiwa itampendeza mfalme, nipe barua kwa ajili ya wakuu ng'ambo ya Mto, ili wapate kuniruhusu nipite katika maeneo yao njiani kwenda Yuda.
8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, so that he may give me timber, in order that I may be able to cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I will enter.” And the king granted to me in accord with the good hand of my God, who is with me.
Pia iwepo barua kwa Asafu, mlinzi wa msitu wa mfalme, ili anipe miti ya kufanya mihimili ya malango ya ngome karibu na hekalu, na kwa ukuta wa mji, na kwa nyumba ambayo Nitaishi.” Kwa hiyo kwa sababu mkono mzuri wa Mungu ulikuwa juu yangu, mfalme alinipa hitaji langu.
9 And I went to the governors of the region beyond the river, and I gave them the letters of the king. Now the king had sent with me military leaders and horsemen.
Nilifika kwa wakuu ng'ambo ya Mto, na kuwapa barua za mfalme. Basi mfalme alikuwa amepeleka maofisa wa jeshi na wapanda farasi pamoja nami.
10 And Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, heard this. And they were saddened, with a great affliction, that a man had arrived who was seeking the prosperity of the sons of Israel.
Sanbalati Mhoroni na Tobbia mtumishi wa Amoni waliposikia jambo hili, walipendezwa sana kwa kuwa mtu alikuja ambaye alikuwa akijaribu kuwasaidia watu wa Israeli.
11 And I arrived at Jerusalem, and I was there for three days.
Basi, nikarudi Yerusalemu, na nilikuwa huko siku tatu.
12 And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. And I did not reveal to anyone what God had placed in my heart to do in Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me, except the animal on which I was sitting.
Niliamka usiku, mimi na watu wachache pamoja nami. Sikumwambia mtu yeyote kile Mungu wangu alichoweka ndani ya moyo wangu kufanya Yerusalemu. Hakukuwa na mnyama pamoja nami, isipokuwa yule niliyekuwa nimempanda.
13 And I departed in the night through the gate of the valley, and before the fountain of the dragon, and toward the dung gate. And I considered the wall of Jerusalem, which was broken apart, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire.
Niliondoka usiku kwa njia ya lango la bondeni, kuelekea kisima cha joka na kwenye mlango wa jaa, na kukagua kuta za Yerusalemu, ambazo zimebomolewa, na milango ya mbao iliharibiwa na moto.
14 And I continued on to the gate of the fountain, and to the aqueduct of the king. And there was no room for the beast on which I was sitting to pass through.
Kisha nikaenda kwenye lango na Chemchemi ya Mfalme. Nafasi ilikuwa nyembamba sana kwa mnyama niliyekuwa nimempanda kupita.
15 And so I climbed up in the night along the torrent, and I considered the wall. And turning back, I went by the gate of the valley, and I returned.
Kwa hiyo nilikwenda usiku huo kando ya bonde na kuchunguza ukuta, nikarudi nyuma na kuingia kwa lango la bondeni, na hivyo nikarudi.
16 Now the magistrates did not know where I had gone, or what I had done. For I had revealed nothing, even to that point in time, to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the others who were doing the work.
Watawala hawakujua nilipokwenda au kile nilichofanya, na sikuwaambia Wayahudi, wala makuhani, wala wakuu, wala watawala, wala wengine waliofanya kazi hiyo.
17 And so I said to them: “You know the affliction in which we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates have been consumed by fire. Come, and let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and let us no longer be in disgrace.”
Nikawaambia, “Unaona shida tuliyo nayo, jinsi Yerusalemu iko katika magofu na milango yake imeharibiwa kwa moto. Njoni, tujenge upya ukuta wa Yerusalemu, ili tusiwe na aibu tena.”
18 And I revealed to them how the hand of my God was with me for good, and the words of the king, which he had spoken to me. And I said: “Let us rise up, and build.” And their hands were strengthened for good.
Niliwaambia kuwa mkono mzuri wa Mungu wangu ulikuwa juu yangu na pia kuhusu maneno ya mfalme ambayo aliniambia. Wakasema, “Hebu tuondoke na kujenga.” Kwa hiyo wakaimarisha mikono yao kwa ajili ya kazi nzuri.
19 But Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, and Geshem, an Arab, heard of it. And they ridiculed and disparaged us, and they said: “What is this thing that you are doing? Could you be rebelling against the king?”
Lakini Sanbalati Mhoroni, na Tobia mtumishi wake Mwamoni, na Geshemu, Mwarabu, waliposikia habari hiyo, wakatucheka na kututukana; wakasema, “Unafanya nini? Je, unamgombana na mfalme?”
20 And I replied to them a word, and I said to them: “The God of heaven himself is helping us, and we are his servants. Let us rise up and build. But there is no portion, or justice, or remembrance in Jerusalem for you.”
Ndipo nikawajibu, “Mungu wa mbinguni atatupa ufanisi. Sisi ni watumishi wake na tutaondoka na kujenga. Lakini huna sehemu, hakuna haki, na hakuna dai la kihistoria huko Yerusalemu.”
