Nehemia 1

1 Esiae nye Nehemia, Hakalia ƒe vi ƒe nyawo. Le ɣleti wuievelia me, le Persia fia, Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me, esime menɔ Susa fiasã la me la,

The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. And it happened that, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, I was in the capital city of Susa.

2 nɔvinye Yudatɔ aɖe si woyɔna be, Hanani kple ame aɖewo tso Yuda va be yewoakpɔm ɖa. Mebia nya tso ale si nuwo nɔ le Yerusalem la ŋu. Mebia be, “Aleke nuwo le na Yudatɔ siwo gbɔ tso aboyo me va Yerusalem?”

And Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived, he and some men of Judah. And I questioned them about the Jews who had remained and were left behind from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3 Woɖo eŋu be, “Nuwo menyo kura o, ame siwo gbɔ tso aboyome la, le xaxa kple ŋukpe gã aɖe me; womu Yerusalem ƒe gliwo ƒu anyi eye wotɔ dzo agboawo.”

And they said to me: “Those who have remained and have been left behind from the captivity, there in the province, are in great affliction and in disgrace. And the wall of Jerusalem has been broken apart, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

4 Esi mese nya siawo la, menɔ anyi, eye mefa avi. Le nyateƒe me la, metsi nu dɔ ŋkeke geɖewo, eye mewɔ ɣeyiɣi ma ŋu dɔ hedo gbe ɖa na dziƒo ƒe Mawu la be,

And when I had heard this manner of words, I sat down, and I wept and mourned for many days. I fasted and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.

5 “O! Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Mawu gã si ŋu ŋɔdzi le, Mawu si wɔa eƒe ŋugbedodowo dzi, eye wòvea ame siwo lɔ̃nɛ, eye wowɔa eƒe sewo dzi la nu, se nye gbedodoɖa.

And I said: “I beg you, O Lord, God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love you and who keep your commandments:

6 Wò to nenɔ te, eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ ʋuʋu be nàse gbe si dom wò dɔla le ɖa zã kple keli le ŋkuwòme, ɖe wò dɔlawo, Israel dukɔ ta. Meʋu nu vɔ̃ siwo mí Israelviwo, nye ŋutɔ kple fofonye ƒe aƒe míewɔ ɖe ŋuwò la me.

may your ears be attentive, and may your eyes be open, so that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you today, night and day, for the sons of Israel, your servants. And I am confessing the sins of the sons of Israel, which they have sinned against you. We have sinned, I and my father’s house.

7 Míewɔ nu tovowo ɖe ŋutiwò, míewɔ wò sededewo, ɖoɖowo kple se siwo wò dɔla Mose de na mí la dzi o.

We have been seduced by vanity. And we have not kept your commandments and ceremonies and judgments, which you have instructed to your servant Moses.

8 “Meɖe kuku, ɖo ŋku nya si nègblɔ na wò dɔla, Mose la dzi! Wòe gblɔ be: ‘Ne miewɔ nu vɔ̃ la, makaka mi ɖe dukɔwo dome,

Remember the word which you commanded to your servant Moses, saying: ‘When you will have transgressed, I will disperse you among the nations.

9 ke ne mietrɔ va gbɔnye, eye miewɔ nye seawo dzi la togbɔ be woɖe aboyo mi yi xexea me ƒe dzogoe didiƒetɔwo mee hã la, makplɔ mi tso teƒe mawo, eye makplɔ mi va teƒe si metia be wòanye nye ŋkɔ ƒe nɔƒe.’

But if you will return to me, and keep my precepts, and do them, even if you will have been led away to the furthest reaches of the heavens, I will gather you from there, and I will lead you back to the place that I have chosen so that my name would dwell there.’

10 “Wò dɔlawoe míenye, dukɔ si nètsɔ wò ŋusẽ gã kple wò alɔ sesẽ la ɖee lae míenye.

And these same are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great strength and by your powerful hand.

11 O! Aƒetɔ, meɖe kuku, se nye gbedodoɖa! Ɖo to mí, ame siwo kpɔa dzidzɔ be míade bubu ŋuwò la ƒe gbedodoɖa. Meɖe kuku, kpe ɖe ŋunye fifi laa esi mele fia la gbɔ yim be mabiae be wòana kpekpeɖeŋu tɔxɛm. Dee eƒe dzi me be wòave nunye.” Fia la ƒe ahakulae menye.

I beg you, O Lord, may your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who are willing to fear your name. And so, guide your servant today, and grant to him mercy before this man.” For I was the cupbearer of the king.