Nehemia 2
1 Gbe ɖeka, le ɣleti enelia me le Fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me, esi menɔ wain kum na fia la la, fia la biam be,
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
2 “Nu ka ta nèlé blanui ale, evɔ mèhele dɔ lém o? Esia menye naneke wu dzi ƒe nuxaxa o.”
so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3 Megblɔ na fia la be, “Fia nenɔ agbe tegbee.”
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 Fia la biam be, “Ekema nu ka woawɔ na wò?” Medo gbe ɖa na dziƒo ƒe Mawu la,
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
5 eye megblɔ na fia la be, “Ne edze fia la ŋu, eye nève wò dɔla nu la, ekema dɔm ɖe Yuda ƒe du me, afi si woɖi fofonyewo ɖo ne magbugbɔ du la atu.”
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 Emegbe fia la, ame si ƒe axadzi fiasrɔ̃ la nɔ anyi ɖo la biam be, “Ŋkeke nenie nèle mɔ zɔ ge, eye gbe ka gbee nàtrɔ agbɔ?” Edze fia la ŋu be wòadɔm, eya ta meɖo ŋkeke nɛ.
Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.
7 Megabia nu bubu hã fia la be, “Ne edze ŋuwò la, ekema meɖe kuku be nàŋlɔ agbalẽ ade asinye na mɔmefia siwo le Frat tɔsisi la ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe, eye nàbia tso wo si be woaɖe mɔ nam mato woƒe dukɔwo me ayi Yudanyigba dzi dedie.
I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8 Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, nàŋlɔ agbalẽ na Asaf, ame si kpɔa fia la ƒe ave dzi, eye nàna wòana atim hena daɖedziwo kple agbowo na mɔ si le gbedoxɔ la gbɔ, hena dua ƒe gliwo kple xɔ aɖe tutu na ɖokuinye.” Esi wònye be, nye Mawu ƒe amenuveve ƒe asi nɔ dzinye ta la, fia la lɔ̃ ɖe nye biabiawo dzi.
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9 Esi meɖo dukɔ siwo nɔ Frat Tɔsisi la ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe la, metsɔ fia la ƒe agbalẽwo na mɔmefiawo. Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, etsɔ aʋafia kple asrafo sɔdolawo kpe ɖe ŋunye.
Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10 Ke esi Sanbalat, Horonitɔ kple Tobia, Amonitɔ, ame siwo nye dɔnunɔlawo se nya sia la, dzi ku wo vevie ŋutɔ be ame aɖe va nyui di ge na Israelviwo.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
11 Meyi Yerusalem, eye esi menɔ dua me ŋkeke etɔ̃ la,
After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 mía kple ŋutsu ʋɛ aɖewo míedo go le zã me. Nyemegblɔ nu si nye Mawu tsɔ de nye dzi me be mawɔ na Yerusalem na ame aɖeke o. Lã siwo wodona la ɖeke menɔ gbɔnye o, negbe esi dom menɔ ko.
I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
13 Le zã me la, míedo go to Balimegbo la me ɖo ta Yakal ƒe Vudo la gbɔ, heyi Aɖukpogbo la gbɔ be míakpɔ gli gbagbãwo kple agbo siwo wotɔ dzoe la ɖa.
So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 Emegbe la, míeyi ŋgɔ heva Vudogbo la kple fia ƒe ta la gbɔ, gake teƒea mekeke na lã si dom menɔ la be wòato ayi ŋgɔ o,
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
15 eya ta meto balime la le zã me henɔ ŋku lém ɖe gli la ŋu. Mlɔeba la, metrɔ gava to Balimegbo la me heva aƒe me.
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 Dua ŋu dzɔlawo menya be medo go de afi siawo o, eye womenya nu si ta mede o, elabena nyemegblɔ nya aɖeke na Yudatɔwo, nunɔlawo, bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo tso nye ɖoɖowo ŋu haɖe kura o. Nyemegblɔe na ame siwo le dɔa wɔ ge gɔ̃ hã o.
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.
17 Megblɔ na wo azɔ be, “Mienya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si dzɔ ɖe Yerusalem dzi nyuie. Dua gbã, eye agboawo fia. Miva, mina míagbugbɔ Yerusalem ƒe gli aɖo, eye míaɖe ŋukpe sia ɖa le mía dzi!”
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18 Megblɔ ale si Mawu ƒe amenuveve ƒe asi le dzinyee kple ale si fia la gblɔ nam hã na wo. Woɖo eŋuti enumake be, “Enyo! Mina míagbugbɔ gli la aɖo!” Ale míedze dɔ nyui sia gɔme.
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
19 Ke esi Sanbalat Horonitɔ kple Tobia Amonitɔ kple Gesem Arabiatɔ la, se nye ɖoɖoawo la, woɖu fewu le mía ŋu hegblɔ be, “Nu kae nye esi wɔm miele hele aglã dzem ɖe fia la ŋu ale?”
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 Ke meɖo eŋu be, “Dziƒo ƒe Mawu la ana dzidzedze mí eƒe dɔlawo míagbugbɔ gli sia aɖo, ke miawo la, miaƒe asi manɔ dɔ sia me loo alo miakpɔ gome le Yerusalem alo axɔ ŋkɔ le ewɔwɔ me alo eƒe ɖe nanye mia tɔ o.”
So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
