Nehemia 1
1 Ici nĩcio ciugo cia Nehemia mũrũ wa Hakalia: Atĩrĩrĩ, mweri-inĩ wa Kiselevu wa mwaka wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ, rĩrĩa ndaarĩ thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya ũthamaki kũu Shushani-rĩ,
[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].
2 Hanani, ũmwe wa ariũ a baba, agĩũka kuuma Juda arĩ na andũ angĩ, na ngĩmahooya ũhoro wa matigari ma Ayahudi arĩa maahonokete gũtahwo, o na ngĩmahooya ũhoro wa Jerusalemu.
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.
3 Nao makĩnjookeria atĩrĩ, “Andũ arĩa maahonokire gũtahwo, o acio marĩ kũu bũrũri-inĩ, marĩ na thĩĩna mũnene na makanyararwo mũno. Rũthingo rwa Jerusalemu nĩrũmomore, na ihingo ciaruo igacinwo na mwaki.”
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.”
4 Rĩrĩa ndaiguire maũndũ macio, ngĩikara thĩ, ngĩrĩra. Ngĩikara ngĩcakayaga matukũ maigana ũna, ngĩĩhinga kũrĩa irio na ngĩhooya Ngai wa igũrũ.
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.
5 Ningĩ ngiuga atĩrĩ: “Wee Jehova Ngai wa Igũrũ, wee Mũrungu mũnene na wa kũmakania, ũrĩa ũhingagia kĩrĩkanĩro gĩake kĩa wendo kũrĩ arĩa mamwendete na magaathĩkĩra maathani make,
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.
6 ndagũthaitha ũtege gũtũ gwaku, na ũhingũre maitho maku ũigue ihooya rĩrĩa ndungata yaku ĩrahooya ĩrĩ mbere yaku mũthenya na ũtukũ nĩ ũndũ wa ndungata ciaku, andũ a Isiraeli. Nĩngumbũra mehia ma andũ a Isiraeli, na makwa, na ma nyũmba ya baba, marĩa ithuĩ tũkwĩhĩirie.
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.
7 Nĩtwĩkĩte maũndũ ma waganu mũnene harĩwe. Tũtiathĩkĩire maathani na irĩra cia watho waku cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo, o na mawatho marĩa waheire Musa ndungata yaku.
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.
8 “Ririkana ũrutani ũrĩa waheire Musa ndungata yaku, ũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Mũngĩaga kwĩhokeka, nĩngamũhurunja gatagatĩ ka ndũrĩrĩ,
“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]).
9 no mũngĩkanjookerera na mwathĩkĩre maathani makwa, hĩndĩ ĩyo o na andũ anyu arĩa maatahĩtwo magatwarwo ituri cia thĩ kũrĩa kũraya mũno, nĩngamacookereria ndĩmarute kuo, ndĩmarehe kũndũ kũrĩa thuurĩte gũtuĩke gĩikaro kĩa Rĩĩtwa rĩakwa.’
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.’
10 “Acio nĩ ndungata ciaku na andũ aku, arĩa wakũũrire na ũndũ wa hinya waku mũnene na guoko gwaku kũrĩ ũhoti.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Wee, Jehova, ndagũthaitha ũtege gũtũ ũigue mahooya ma ndungata ĩno yaku, o na mahooya ma ndungata ciaku iria ikenagio nĩ gwĩtigĩra rĩĩtwa rĩaku. Kĩreke ndungata yaku ĩgaacĩre ũmũthĩ na ũndũ wa gũtũma ĩtĩkĩrĩke harĩ mũndũ ũyũ.” Nĩ niĩ ndatwaragĩra mũthamaki kĩndũ gĩa kũnyua.
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].
