Nehemiah 2
1 And it came to pass in the month Nissan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, that wine [stood] before him; and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. But I had never been sad in his presence.
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 Then said the king unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing but an illness of heart. Then was I very greatly afraid.
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 And I said unto the king, May the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth ruined, and her gates are consumed by fire?
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 Then said the king unto me, For what then dost thou make request? Then did I pray to the God of heaven.
Mfalme akaniambia, “Je, haja yako ni gani?” Ndipo nikaomba kwa Mungu wa mbinguni,
5 And I said unto the king, If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant might be pleasing in thy presence, [I desire] that thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build 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 And the king said unto me, while the queen was sitting beside him, When is thy journey to be undertaken? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to let me go; and I indicated to him a time.
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 And I said unto the king, If it seem good to the king, let letters be given unto me for the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till the time that I come into Judah;
Pia nikamwambia, “Kama ikimpendeza mfalme, naomba nipewe barua kwa watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Frati, ili wanipe ulinzi mpaka nifike Yuda.
8 Also a letter unto Assaph the keeper of the king's forests, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall move into. And the king gave [them] to me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
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 And [so] came I to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
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 When Sanballat the Choronite, and Tobiyah the servant, the 'Ammonite, heard of it, it displeased them exceedingly, that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
Sanbalati Mhoroni na Tobia afisa Mwamoni waliposikia juu ya jambo hili, waliudhika sana kwamba amekuja mtu kuinua ustawi wa Waisraeli.
11 So came I to Jerusalem, and remained there three days.
Nilienda Yerusalemu, na baada ya kukaa huko siku tatu,
12 Then arose I in the night, I and some few men with me; but I had not told any man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem: nor was there any beast with me, save the beast on which I rode.
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 And I went out through the gate of the valley by night, even toward the direction of the dragon-well, and to the dung-gate; and I was viewing the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates whereof were consumed by fire.
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 passed I on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool; but there was no space for the beast that was under me to pass through.
Kisha nikaelekea mpaka Lango la Chemchemi na Bwawa la Mfalme, lakini hapakuwepo nafasi ya kutosha kwa ajili ya mnyama wangu kupita,
15 Then went I up through the valley in the night, and I was viewing the wall, and I returned and entered through the gate of the valley, and so returned home.
kwa hiyo nikapandia bondeni usiku nikikagua ukuta. Mwishoni nikarudi na kuingia tena kupitia Lango la Bondeni.
16 And the rulers knew not whither I was gone, or what I was doing: nor had I as yet told it to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the superintendents of the work.
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 said I unto them, Ye see the misery in which we are, how Jerusalem lieth in ruins, and its gates are burnt with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no more be for a reproach.
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 And I told them of the hand of my God, which was good upon me, as also the king's words which he had spoken unto me. And they said, We will rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
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 Choronite, and Tobiyah the servant, the 'Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye are doing? are ye 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 And I returned them an answer, and said unto them, The God of heaven will indeed give us prosperity, and we his servants will truly rise up and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
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.”
