Nehemiah 1
1 [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].
Riwayat Nehemia bin Hakhalya. Pada bulan Kislew tahun kedua puluh, ketika aku ada di puri Susan,
2 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.
datanglah Hanani, salah seorang dari saudara-saudaraku dengan beberapa orang dari Yehuda. Aku menanyakan mereka tentang orang-orang Yahudi yang terluput, yang terhindar dari penawanan dan tentang Yerusalem.
3 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.”
Kata mereka kepadaku: "Orang-orang yang masih tinggal di daerah sana, yang terhindar dari penawanan, ada dalam kesukaran besar dan dalam keadaan tercela. Tembok Yerusalem telah terbongkar dan pintu-pintu gerbangnya telah terbakar."
4 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.
Ketika kudengar berita ini, duduklah aku menangis dan berkabung selama beberapa hari. Aku berpuasa dan berdoa ke hadirat Allah semesta langit,
5 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.
kataku: "Ya, TUHAN, Allah semesta langit, Allah yang maha besar dan dahsyat, yang berpegang pada perjanjian dan kasih setia-Nya terhadap orang yang kasih kepada-Nya dan tetap mengikuti perintah-perintah-Nya,
6 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.
berilah telinga-Mu dan bukalah mata-Mu dan dengarkanlah doa hamba-Mu yang sekarang kupanjatkan ke hadirat-Mu siang dan malam bagi orang Israel, hamba-hamba-Mu itu, dengan mengaku segala dosa yang kami orang Israel telah lakukan terhadap-Mu. Juga aku dan kaum keluargaku telah berbuat dosa.
7 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.
Kami telah sangat bersalah terhadap-Mu dan tidak mengikuti perintah-perintah, ketetapan-ketetapan dan peraturan-peraturan yang telah Kauperintahkan kepada Musa, hamba-Mu itu.
8 “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]).
Ingatlah akan firman yang Kaupesan kepada Musa, hamba-Mu itu, yakni: Bila kamu berubah setia, kamu akan Kucerai-beraikan di antara bangsa-bangsa.
9 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.’
Tetapi, bila kamu berbalik kepada-Ku dan tetap mengikuti perintah-perintah-serta melakukannya, maka sekalipun orang-orang buanganmu ada di ujung langit, akan Kukumpulkan mereka kembali dan Kubawa ke tempat yang telah Kupilih untuk membuat nama-Ku diam di sana.
10 “We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
Bukankah mereka ini hamba-hamba-Mu dan umat-Mu yang telah Kaubebaskan dengan kekuatan-Mu yang besar dan dengan tangan-Mu yang kuat?
11 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].
Ya, Tuhan, berilah telinga kepada doa hamba-Mu ini dan kepada doa hamba-hamba-Mu yang rela takut akan nama-Mu, dan biarlah hamba-Mu berhasil hari ini dan mendapat belas kasihan dari orang ini." Ketika itu aku ini juru minuman raja.
