Nehemaya 2
1 Nʼọnwa Nisan, nʼiri afọ abụọ nke ọchịchị eze Ataksekses, mgbe e wetaara eze mmanya. E buru m mmanya ahụ bugara ya eze. Ugbu a, o nwebeghị mgbe ọbụla m jirila ihu mgbarụ bịa nʼihu eze.
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 Ya mere, eze jụrụ m, “Gịnị mere ihu gị ji gbaruo mgbe ọ dịghị ọrịa ji gị? Nke a na-egosi naanị na obi jọrọ gị njọ.” Ụjọ tụrụ m nnọọ nke ukwu.
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 Azara m eze sị, “Onyenwe m, ka ọchịchị eze dị ogologo ndụ. Gịnị ga-eme ka obi dị m ụtọ ebe ọ bụ na obodo ahụ e liri nna nna m ha aghọọla mkpọmkpọ ebe, nke a kpọkwara ọnụ ụzọ ama ya niile ọkụ?”
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 Eze sịrị m, “Ọ bụ gịnị ka ị chọrọ?” Mgbe ahụ ekpere m ekpere nʼobi m nye Chineke,
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 ma zaa eze sị, “Ọ bụrụ na ọ ga-amasị eze, biko, ọ bụrụkwa na ohu gị achọta ihuọma nʼanya gị, ana m arịọ ka ị ziga m Juda, bụ obodo nna nna m ha, ka m gaa wugharịakwa ya.”
“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 Eze sịrị m, ebe nwunye ya nọkwa nʼakụkụ ya, “Ije gị ọ ga-abụ ruo olee mgbe, olee mgbe ị ga-alọghachitekwa?” Ọ masịrị eze i ziga m. Ya mere, enyere m ya oge.
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 Mgbe ahụ, asịrị m ya, “Ọ bụrụ na ọ ga-amasị eze, aga m achọ ka i nye m akwụkwọ nke m ga-enye ndịisi ọchịchị niile nọ nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ osimiri Yufretis, ka ha kwere ka m site nʼobodo ha gafee ruo mgbe m ga-eru na Juda.
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 Nyekwa m akwụkwọ ozi m ga-enye Asaf, onye na-elekọta ọhịa eze, ka o nye m osisi nke a ga-eji rụzie ọnụ ụzọ dị nʼakụkụ ụlọnsọ, na nke a ga-eji rụọ mgbidi obodo ahụ, na nke m ga-eji rụọ ụlọ nke aka m.” Eze meere m ihe ndị a niile, nʼihi na aka ebere Chineke dịnyere m.
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 Mgbe m rutere obodo ndị a dị nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ osimiri Yufretis, enyere m ndịisi ọchịchị niile akwụkwọ ahụ eze dere nye m. Eze dunyere m ndịisi agha na ndị agha na-agba ịnyịnya ka ha chebe m nʼije m.
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 Ma mgbe Sanbalat, onye Horonaim, na Tobaya, onye Amọn bụ onyeisi ọrụ ọchịchị, nụrụ ihe banyere ọbịbịa m, iwe were ha nke ukwuu ịnụ na o nwere onye na-achọ inyere ndị Izrel aka.
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 E rutere m Jerusalem, nọdụkwa ebe ahụ mkpụrụ ụbọchị atọ,
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 eji m abalị pụọ kpọrọ mmadụ ole na ole. O nwebeghị onye ọbụla m gwara ihe Chineke tinyere m nʼobi ime na Jerusalem. Ọ dịghị ịnyịnya ọzọ anyị ji ma ọ bụghị nke ahụ m na-agba.
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 Nʼabalị a pụrụ m site nʼỌnụ ụzọ ama Ndagwurugwu ruo nʼisi iyi mmiri Nkịta ọhịa, sitekwa nʼebe ahụ ruo nʼỌnụ ụzọ ama ebe ikpofu ahịhịa. Anyị jegharịrị ịhụ ebe niile mgbidi Jerusalem dara ada, na ọnụ ụzọ ama ya niile nke ọkụ rere.
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 Emesịa, ejeruru m ọnụ ụzọ nke dị nʼebe isi iyi dị, ruokwa nʼọdọ mmiri eze, ma ịnyịnya ibu m enweghị ike isite nʼebe ahụ gafee.
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 Ya mere, ejiri m nʼabalị jeruo ndagwurugwu ahụ, leruo mgbidi ahụ anya. Emesịa, atụgharịrị m lọghachi site nʼọnụ ụzọ Ama ndagwurugwu.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 Ndịisi obodo amaghị ebe m gara maọbụ ihe m na-eme, nʼihi na agwabeghị m onye Juu ọbụla ihe m bu nʼobi, maọbụ ndị nchụaja, maọbụ ndị a na-asọpụrụ, maọbụ ndị ọchịchị obodo, maọbụ onye ọzọ ọbụla ndị ga-arụ ọrụ ahụ.
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 Nʼikpeazụ, agwara m ha sị, “Unu maara nke ọma ihe dakwasịrị obodo anyị. Lee otu mgbidi ya si dakasịa, na otu ọnụ ụzọ ama ya si rechapụ ọkụ. Ka anyị wuzienụ mgbidi Jerusalem, si otu a wepụ ihe ihere a dịịrị anyị.”
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 Akọọrọ m ha ọchịchọ ahụ Chineke tinyere m nʼobi na ihe mụ na eze kwuru, na otu o si kwadoo ihe m gwara ya. Ha zara m sị, “Ọ dị mma, ka anyị wugharịanụ mgbidi ahụ.” Ọrụ ahụ bidokwara na-atụfughị oge.
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 Ma mgbe Sanbalat, onye Horon, na Tobaya, onyeozi ndị Amọn, na Geshem onye Arab, nụrụ ya, ha kwara anyị emo sị, “Gịnị bụ ihe nke a unu na-eme? Ọ bụ eze ka unu na-enupu isi megide?”
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 Ma azara m ha sị, “Chineke nke eluigwe ga-eme ka ihe gara anyị nke ọma. Anyị onwe anyị bụ ndị ohu ya ga-amalite iwughachi mgbidi a, ma unu onwe unu, unu enweghị oke maọbụ ọnọdụ ziri ezi maọbụ ihe ncheta ọbụla nʼime Jerusalem.”
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.”
