Nehemiah 2
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
Katika mwezi wa Nisani mwaka wa ishirini wa utawala wa Mfalme Artashasta, wakati divai ilipoletwa kwake, niliichukua na kumpa mfalme. Sikuwahi kuonekana mwenye huzuni mbele yake kabla ya hapo.
2 so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
Basi mfalme akaniuliza, “Kwa nini uso wako unaonekana una huzuni wakati wewe si mgonjwa? Jambo hili si kitu kingine bali ni huzuni ya moyo.” Niliogopa sana,
3 but I replied to the king, “Long live the king live! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
lakini nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme na aishi milele! Kwa nini uso wangu usiwe na huzuni wakati mji walipozikwa baba zangu umebaki magofu, na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto?”
4 “So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
Mfalme akaniambia, “Je, haja yako ni gani?” Ndipo nikaomba kwa Mungu wa mbinguni,
5 “If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
na nikamjibu mfalme, “Kama ikimpendeza mfalme, na kama mtumishi wako amepata kibali machoni pake, anitume kule mji wa Yuda, mahali baba zangu walipozikwa, ili niweze kuujenga upya.”
6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
Kisha mfalme, na malkia akiwa ameketi karibu naye, akaniuliza, “Safari yako itachukua muda gani, nawe utarudi lini?” Ilimpendeza mfalme kunituma, kwa hiyo nikapanga muda.
7 I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
Pia nikamwambia, “Kama ikimpendeza mfalme, naomba nipewe barua kwa watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Frati, ili wanipe ulinzi mpaka nifike Yuda.
8 May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
Naomba nipewe barua nipeleke kwa Asafu, mtunzaji wa msitu wa mfalme, ili anipe miti ya kutengeneza boriti kwa ajili ya malango ya ngome ya Hekalu, na ukuta wa mji, na makao yangu nitakapoishi.” Kwa kuwa mkono wenye neema wa Mungu wangu ulikuwa juu yangu, mfalme akanijalia ombi langu.
9 Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
Basi nilienda kwa watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Frati na kuwapa barua za mfalme. Pia mfalme alikuwa ametuma maafisa wa jeshi na askari wapanda farasi pamoja nami.
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
Sanbalati Mhoroni na Tobia afisa Mwamoni waliposikia juu ya jambo hili, waliudhika sana kwamba amekuja mtu kuinua ustawi wa Waisraeli.
11 I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
Nilienda Yerusalemu, na baada ya kukaa huko siku tatu,
12 Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
nikaondoka wakati wa usiku pamoja na watu wachache. Sikuwa nimemwambia mtu yeyote kile ambacho Mungu wangu alikuwa ameweka moyoni mwangu kufanya kwa ajili ya Yerusalemu. Hapakuwepo na mnyama yeyote pamoja nami isipokuwa yule niliyekuwa nimempanda.
13 So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
Nikatoka nje usiku kupitia Lango la Bondeni, kuelekea Kisima cha Joka na Lango la Samadi, nikikagua kuta za Yerusalemu zilizokuwa zimebomolewa, na malango yake yaliyokuwa yameteketezwa kwa moto.
14 Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
Kisha nikaelekea mpaka Lango la Chemchemi na Bwawa la Mfalme, lakini hapakuwepo nafasi ya kutosha kwa ajili ya mnyama wangu kupita,
15 So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
kwa hiyo nikapandia bondeni usiku nikikagua ukuta. Mwishoni nikarudi na kuingia tena kupitia Lango la Bondeni.
16 Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
Maafisa hawakujua nilikokwenda wala nilichokuwa nikifanya, kwa sababu mpaka sasa nilikuwa bado sijasema lolote kwa Wayahudi, wala makuhani, wala wakuu, wala maafisa, wala mtu yeyote ambaye angefanya kazi.
17 Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
Ndipo nilipowaambia, “Mnaona taabu tuliyo nayo: Yerusalemu imebaki magofu na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto. Njooni tujenge upya ukuta wa Yerusalemu, nasi hatutakuwa tena katika aibu hii.”
18 Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
Pia niliwaambia kuhusu mkono wenye neema wa Mungu wangu uliokuwa juu yangu, na kile mfalme alichokuwa ameniambia. Wakajibu, “Haya! Tuanze kujenga tena.” Kwa hiyo wakaanza kazi hii njema.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Lakini Sanbalati Mhoroni, Tobia afisa Mwamoni, na Geshemu Mwarabu waliposikia kuhusu jambo hili, walitudhihaki na kutucheka. Wakauliza, “Ni nini hiki mnachokifanya? Je, mnaasi dhidi ya mfalme?”
20 But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
Nikawajibu kwa kusema, “Mungu wa mbinguni atatufanikisha. Sisi watumishi wake tutaanza kujenga upya, lakini kwenu ninyi, hamna sehemu wala dai lolote wala kumbukumbu la haki katika Yerusalemu.”
