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,
Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he māhina ko Nisani, ʻi hono uofulu taʻu ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi, naʻe ʻi hoku ʻao ʻae uaine: pea naʻaku toʻo hake ʻae uaine ʻo ʻatu ia ki he tuʻi. Pea ko eni naʻe teʻeki ai te u matapeko ʻi hono ʻao.
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,
Ko ia naʻe pehē ai ʻe he tuʻi kiate au, “Ko e hā ʻoku matapeko ai ho mata, ka ʻoku ʻikai te ke mahaki?” ʻOku ʻikai ko e meʻa kehe ia ka ko e mamahi ʻi loto. Pea ne u manavahē lahi ai.
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.”
Pea naʻaku pehē ki he tuʻi, “Tuku ke moʻui ʻae tuʻi ʻo taʻengata: ʻe ʻikai te u mata tangi nai ko e hā, lolotonga kuo tuku liʻaki pe ʻae kolo, ko e potu ʻoe ngaahi tanuʻanga ʻo ʻeku ngaahi tamai, pea ko hono ngaahi matapā kuo tutuʻaki ʻae afi?”
4 “So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
Pea pehē ai ʻe he tuʻi kiate au, “Ko e hā ia ʻoku ke kole? Ko ia naʻaku lotu ai ki he ʻOtua ʻoe langi.”
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.”
Pea ne u pehē ki he tuʻi, “Kapau ʻoku lelei ki he tuʻi, pea kapau kuo ʻilo ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻae ʻofa ʻi ho ʻao, ke ke fekau au ki Siuta, ki he kolo ʻoe ngaahi tanuʻanga ʻo ʻeku ngaahi tamai, koeʻuhi ke u langa hake ia.”
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.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he tuʻi kiate au, (pea naʻe nofo ofi kiate ia ʻae tuʻi fefine foki, ) “Ko e hā hono fuoloa ʻo ho fononga? Pea te ke toe haʻu ʻafē? Pea naʻe lelei ki he tuʻi ke ne fekauʻi au; pea ne u kotofa kiate ia ʻae kuonga.”
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.
Pea ne u pehē foki ki he tuʻi, “Kapau ʻoku lelei ki he tuʻi, tuku ke ʻomi kiate au ʻae ngaahi tohi ki he ngaahi pule ʻi he potu kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vaitafe, koeʻuhi ke nau moimoiʻi au ʻo aʻu ki heʻeku hoko atu ki Siuta;
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.
Mo e tohi ʻe taha kia ʻAsafi ko e tauhi ʻoe vao ʻakau ʻoe tuʻi koeʻuhi ke ne foaki kiate au ʻae ngaahi ʻakau ke ngaohi ʻaki ʻae ʻakau lalava ki he ngaahi matapā ʻoe fale ʻaia ʻoku kau ki he faletapu, pea maʻae ʻā maka ʻoe kolo, pea maʻae fale ʻaia te u hū ki ai.” Pea naʻe tuku mai ʻe he tuʻi kiate au, ʻo hangē ko e ʻiate au ʻae nima lelei ʻo hoku ʻOtua.
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.
Pea ne u toki hoko atu ki he kau pule ʻi he tuʻa vaitafe, pea u tuku kiate kinautolu ʻae ngaahi tohi ʻoe tuʻi. Pea naʻe fekau ʻe he tuʻi ke ʻalu mo au ʻae ngaahi ʻeiki ʻoe tau mo e kau tangata heka hoosi.
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.
Pea ʻi he fanongo ki ai ʻe Sanipalate ko e tangata Holoni, mo Topaia ko e tamaioʻeiki, ko e tangata ʻAmoni, naʻe mamahi lahi ʻakinaua, koeʻuhi ʻi he haʻu ʻae tangata ke kumi ke lelei ai ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli.
11 I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
Ko ia, ne u hoko ki Selūsalema, pea ne u ʻi ai ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolu.
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.
Pea ne u tuʻu hake ʻi he poʻuli, mo e kau tangata tokosiʻi naʻe ʻiate au; pea naʻe ʻikai te u tala ki ha tokotaha ʻaia naʻe tuku ʻe hoku ʻOtua ki hoku loto ke fai ʻi Selūsalema: pea naʻe ʻikai ha manu ʻiate au ka ko ia naʻaku heka ai.
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.
Pea ne u ʻalu kituaʻā ʻi he poʻuli ʻi he matapā ʻoe teleʻa, ʻo hangatonu mo e vaikeli ko e talākoni, pea ki he matapā fokotuʻunga veve, pea u vakai ki he ngaahi ʻā maka ʻo Selūsalema, ʻaia naʻe holoki hifo, mo e ngaahi matapā ʻaia naʻe fakaʻauha ʻaki ʻae afi.
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.
Pea naʻaku ʻalu ai pe ki he matapā ʻoe matavai, pea ki he anovai ʻoe tuʻi: pea naʻe ʻikai ha potu ke ʻalu ai ʻae manu naʻaku heka ai.
15 So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
Pea naʻaku ʻalu hake ai ʻi he poʻuli ʻo ofi ki he vaitafe, ʻo vakai ki he ʻā maka, pea u tafoki ki mui, pea hū ʻi he matapā ʻoe teleʻa, pea toe foki atu ai.
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.
Pea naʻe ʻikai ʻilo ʻe he kau pule pe naʻaku ʻalu ki fē, pe ko ia naʻaku fai; pea naʻe teʻeki te u tala ia ki he kakai Siu, pe ki he kau taulaʻeiki, pe ki he houʻeiki, pe ki he kau pule, pe ki he toenga [kakai ]naʻe fai ʻae ngāue.
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.”
Pea ne u pehē ai kiate kinautolu, “ʻOku mou mamata ki he mamahi ʻoku tau moʻua ai, koeʻuhi kuo tutu liʻaki pe ʻa Selūsalema, pea kuo tuku hono ngaahi matapā ʻaki ʻae afi: haʻu, ketau langa hake ʻae ʻā maka ʻo Selūsalema, koeʻuhi ke ʻoua naʻa tau kei hoko ko e lumaʻanga.”
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.
Pea ne u toki tala kiate kinautolu ʻae nima ʻo hoku ʻOtua ʻaia naʻe hili lelei kiate au; pea mo e ngaahi lea ʻae tuʻi foki ʻaia naʻa ne lea kiate au. Pea naʻa nau pehē, “Ke tau tuʻu hake pea langa.” Ko ia naʻa nau fakamālohiʻi honau nima ki he ngāue lelei ni.
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?”
Ka ʻi he fanongo ki ai ʻe Sanipalate ko e tangata Holoni, mo Topaia ko e tamaioʻeiki, ko e tangata ʻAmoni, mo Kesemi ko e tangata ʻAlepea, naʻa nau kata manukiʻi ʻakimautolu, pea lumaʻi ʻakimautolu, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa ni ʻoku mou fai? ʻOku mou loto ke angatuʻu ki he tuʻi?”
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.”
Pea naʻaku talia ʻakinautolu, pea u pehē kiate kinautolu, “Ko e ʻOtua ʻoe langi, te ne fakamonūʻia ʻakimautolu; ko ia ko kimautolu ko ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki te mau tuʻu hake ʻo langa: ka ʻoku ʻikai ha tofiʻa, pe ha potu, pe ha fakaʻilonga ʻi Selūsalema maʻamoutolu.”
