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,
In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.
2 “Nu ka ta nèlé blanui ale, evɔ mèhele dɔ lém o? Esia menye naneke wu dzi ƒe nuxaxa o.”
The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
3 Megblɔ na fia la be, “Fia nenɔ agbe tegbee.”
I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
4 Fia la biam be, “Ekema nu ka woawɔ na wò?” Medo gbe ɖa na dziƒo ƒe Mawu la,
Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” 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.”
I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour in your sight, I ask that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build 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.
The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), “How long will your journey be? When will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him.
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.
Moreover I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to 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 a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
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 came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen 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.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 Meyi Yerusalem, eye esi menɔ dua me ŋkeke etɔ̃ la,
So I came to Jerusalem, and was 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 arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me except the animal that I rode on.
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.
I went out by night by the valley gate towards the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate; and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with 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 spring gate and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
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.
Then I went up in the night by the brook and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
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 rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
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 bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burnt with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”
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 told them about the hand of my God which was good on me, and also about the king’s words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the 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 servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel 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.”
Then I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”
