Nehemia 2
1 I KA malama o Nisana, i ka iwakalua o ka makahiki o ke alii o Aretasaseta, imua ona ka waina, a ua lawe au i ka waina, a haawi aku i ke alii; aohe o'u kaumaha mamua imua o kona alo.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
2 A i mai la ke alii ia'u, No ke aha la i inoino ai kou maka, aole hoi ou mai? aohe mea e ae keia, o ke kaumaha no ia o ka naau. Alaila makau nui loa iho la au,
so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
3 A i aku la i ke alii, I ola mau loa ke alii; heaha ka mea e ole ai e inoino ko'u maka i ka wa e waiho neoneo ana ke kulanakauhale, kahi o ua ilina a ko'u mau makuakane, a o na panipuka no hoi ona ua hoopauia i ke ahi.
but I replied to the king, “Long live the king live! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
4 A olelo mai la ke alii ia'u, Heaha kau e imi nei? Alaila pule aku la au i ke Akua o ka lani.
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 A i aku la au i ke alii, Ina he mea oluolu ia i ke alii, a i loaa hoi ke aloha i kau kauwa imua o kou alo, alaila e hoonua oe ia'u ma Iuda, ma ke kulanakauhale o na ilina o ko'u mau makuakane, i kukulu au ia.
“If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
6 A i mai la ke alii ia'u, (o ke alii wahine kekahi o noho pu ana me ia, ) Pehea ka loihi o kou manawa e hele ai? Ahea la oe e hoi mai ai? A he mea oluolu ia i ke alii e hoouna ia'u; a hai aku au ia ia i manawa.
The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
7 A olelo aku no hoi au i ke alii, Ina he mea pono ia i ke alii, e haawiia mai ia'u kekahi mau palapala na na kiaaina ma kela aoao o ka muliwai, i lawe lakou ia'u a hiki au ma Iuda;
I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
8 A i palapala na Asapa ka mea malama i ko ke alii ululaau, i haawi mai ia ia'u i mau laau e kapili ai i na puka o ka pakiai o ka hale, a no ka pa o ke kulanakauhale, a no ka hale hoi a'u e komo ai. A haawi mai no ke alii ia'u, mamuli o ka lima lokomaikai o ko'u Akua maluna o'u.
May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
9 A hiki mai la au i na kiaaina ma keia aoao o ka muliwai, haawi aku au ia lakou i na palapala a ke alii. A ua hoouna mai no hoi ke alii me au i mau luna koa a i poe hoohololio.
Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
10 A lohe o Sonebalata ka Horona, a me Tobia ke kauwa, ka Amono, ho mea kaumaha loa no ia laua ka hiki ana mai o kekahi kanaka e imi i ka mea e pono ai na mamo a Iseraela.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
11 A hiki aku au ma Ierusalema, a malaila no au i na la ekolu.
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 Alaila ala ae la au iluna i ka po, owau a me kekahi poe kanaka uuku me au; aka, aole au i hai aku i kekahi kanaka i ka mea a ko'u Akua i hookomo mai ai iloko o ko'u naau e hana no Ierusalema. A aohe holoholona me au, o ka holoholona wale no a'u i hooholo ai.
Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
13 A hele aku au ma ka puka awawa i ka po, ma ke alo o ka punawai, a ka puka lepo, a nana aku la au i na pa o Ierusalema i hoohioloia a me na panipuka ona i hoopauia i ke ahi.
So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
14 A hele aku au a i ka puka waipuna, a i ka loko hoi o ke alii: a aohe wahi no ka holoholona malalo o'u e hiki aku ai.
Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
15 Alaila pii aku la au i ka po ma ke kahawai, a nana aku la au i ka pa, a huli ae la hoi au, a komo ma ka puka awawa, a hoi mai la.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 A o na luna, aole lakou i ike i kahi a'u i hele ai, a me ka mea a'u i hana'i; aole hoi au i hoike aku ia i ka Iuda, aole no hoi i na kahuna, a me ka poe kaukaualii, a me ka poe luna, a me ka poe i koe nana ka hana.
Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
17 Alaila, olelo aku la au ia lakou, Ke ike nei oukou i ka popilikia i loaa ia kakou, ua neoneo o Ierusalema, a o na puka ona ua pau i ke ahi: auhea oukou; ea, e kukulu kakou i ka pa o Ierusalema, i ole e hoino hou ia kakou.
Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
18 A hai aku la au ia lakou i ka lima o ko'u Akua, he lokomaikai maluna o'u, a me na olelo no hoi a ke alii, ana i olelo mai ai ia'u. A i ae la lakou, E ku ae kakou a e kukulu. A hooikaika iho la ko lakou mau lima ma keia mea e pono ai.
Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
19 A lohe o Sanebalata ka Horona, a me Tobia ke kauwa, ka Amona, a me Gesema, ka Arabia, ua akahenehene mai lakou ia makou, o ua hoowahawaha mai no hoi ia makou, i mai la, Heaha keia mea a oukou e hana nei? e kipi aku anei oukou i ke alii?
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 A pane aku la au ia lakou, a i aku la au ia lakou, o ke Akua o ka lani, oia ka mea nana makou e kokua mai; a o makou, kana poe kauwa, e ku iluua no makou a e kukulu: aka, aole o oukou kuleana, aole no he pono, aole hoi he mea e hoomanao ai iloko o Ierusalema.
But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
