Neemi 1
1 Men istwa Neemi, pitit gason Akalya a, jan li menm li te rakonte l' la. Se te nan mwa Kislèv. Lè sa a, wa Atagzèsès te gen ventan depi li t'ap gouvènen. Mwen menm, Neemi, mwen te lavil Souz, kapital peyi a.
[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 Anani, yonn nan frè m' yo, rive soti nan peyi Jida ansanm ak kèk lòt moun. Mwen mande yo nouvèl jwif yo, ti ponyen moun pèp Izrayèl ki te soti nan peyi kote yo te depòte yo epi ki tounen nan peyi yo a, ansanm ak nouvèl lavil Jerizalèm.
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 Yo reponn mwen: Moun ki tounen soti nan peyi kote yo te depòte yo epi ki rete laba nan peyi nou an anba gwo pwoblèm. Yo pa konn sa pou yo fè tèlman yo wont. Kanta miray lavil Jerizalèm yo, yo te fin kraze. Gwo pòtay yo menm te menm jan an toujou depi dife te fin boule yo a.
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 Lè m' tande sa, mwen chita atè, mwen pran kriye. Mwen pase anpil jou konsa nan gwo lapenn. Mwen pa manje, mwen t'ap lapriyè Bondye ki nan syèl la.
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 Mwen di: -Aa, Seyè, Bondye ki nan syèl la, ou se yon Bondye ki gen pouvwa, yon Bondye ki fè moun gen krentif pou ou. Ou kenbe pawòl ou te bay nan kontra ou la. Ou toujou gen pitye pou moun ki renmen ou, pou moun ki swiv lòd ou yo.
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 Tanpri, voye je ou sou mwen menm k'ap sèvi ou la. Panche zòrèy ou pou tande lapriyè m'ap fè nan pye ou koulye a, lajounen kou lannwit, pou sèvitè ou yo, moun pèp Izrayèl yo. Mwen rekonèt tou sa moun pèp Izrayèl yo fè ki mal devan je ou. Mwen rekonèt ni mwen menm ni zansèt mwen yo nou fè peche.
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 Nou aji mal anpil avè ou. Nou pa swiv tout kòmandman, tout lòd ak tout regleman ou te bay Moyiz, sèvitè ou la, pou nou.
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 Koulye a, chonje pawòl ou te bay Moyiz, sèvitè ou la, lòd ki di nou: Si nou menm, moun pèp Izrayèl yo, nou pa kenbe pawòl mwen yo, m'ap gaye nou sou latè nan mitan tout lòt nasyon yo.
“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 Men, si nou tounen vin jwenn mwen, si nou pran swiv kòmandman mwen yo pou nou fè sa m' di nou fè, yo te mèt depòte nou jouk byen lwen nan dènye bout latè a, m'ap sanble nou, m'ap fè nou tounen kote mwen chwazi pou m' rete a.
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 Enben! Seyè, men yo, moun k'ap sèvi ou yo. Men pèp ou a, pèp ou te delivre ak gwo pouvwa ou ak fòs ponyèt ou a.
“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
11 Aa! Seyè, panche zòrèy ou pou tande lapriyè mwen menm, sèvitè ou, m'ap fè nan pye ou, lapriyè tout sèvitè ou yo ki pran plezi nan gen krentif pou ou. Tanpri, Seyè, fè tout bagay mache byen pou mwen jòdi a. Fè wa a resevwa m' byen. Lè sa a, mwen te chèf kanbiz wa a.
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].
