Nehemias 2
1 Iti bulan ti Nisan, iti maika-duapulo a tawen a panagturay ni Artaxerxes nga ari, nangpili isuna iti arak, innalak ti arak ket intedko daytoy iti ari. Ita, saanak pay a pulos a nagliday iti imatang ti ari.
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 Ngem kinuna ti ari kaniak, “Apay a nagliday ta rupam? Kasla saanka met a masakit. Mabalin a kinaliday ti puso daytoy.” Ket kasta unay ti panagbutengko.
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 Kinunak iti ari, “Agbiag koma ti ari iti agnanayon! Apay koma a saan nga agliday ti rupak? Ti siudad, a nakaitaneman dagiti ammak, ket nadadael ken napuoran dagiti ruangan daytoy.”
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 Ket kinuna ti ari kaniak, “Ania ti kayatmo nga aramidek?” Isu a nagkararagak iti Dios ti langit.
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 Ket insungbatko iti ari, “No kasla nasayaat daytoy iti ari, ken no makaay-ayo ti inaramid ti adipenmo iti imatangmo, ibaonnak koma a mapan idiay Juda, iti siudad a nakaitaneman dagiti ammak, tapno bangonek manen daytoy.”
“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 Insungbat ti ari kaniak (nakatugaw met idi ti reyna iti abayna), “Kasano kabayag ti kaawanmo ken kaanoka nga agsubli?” Naragsakan ti ari a nangibaon kaniak idi imbagak kenkuana dagiti petsa.
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 Ket kinunak iti ari, “No pakaragsakan ti ari, ikkannak koma kadagiti surat para kadagiti gobernador iti ballasiw ti Karayan tapno palubosandak a lumabas kadagiti masakupanda iti panagturongko idiay 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 Adda koma pay surat a para kenni Asaf nga agay-aywan iti kabakiran ti ari, tapno ikkannak iti tarikayo a maaramid nga awanan kadagiti ruangan ti sarikedked iti abay ti templo, para iti pader ti siudad, ken para iti balay a pagnaedak.” Ket gapu ta adda kaniak ti ima ti Dios, pinatgan ti ari dagiti kiddawko.
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 Dimtengak kadagiti gobernador iti ballasiw ti Karayan, ket intedko kadakuada dagiti surat ti ari. Ita, pinakuyogannak ti ari kadagiti opisial ti armada ken lallaki a nakakabalio.
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 Idi nangngeg daytoy da Sanballat a Horonita ken Tobias nga adipen nga Ammonita, saanda a naragsakan nga adda immay nga agtarigagay a tumulong kadagiti tattao ti Israel.
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 Isu a napanak idiay Jerusalem ken addaak idiay iti tallo nga aldaw.
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 Bimmangonak iti rabii, siak ken dagiti sumagmamano a lallaki a kaduak. Awan ti nangibagaak iti inkabil ti Diosko iti pusok nga aramidek para iti Jerusalem. Awan ti intugotko nga ayup, ti laeng ayup a pagsaksakayak.
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 Iti rabii, rimmuarak iti Ruangan ti Tanap, nga agturong iti Bubon ti Atap nga aso ken iti Ruangan a Pagiruaran ti Rugit ket sinukimatko dagiti pader ti Jerusalem a narba ken dagiti kayo a ruangan a napuoran.
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 Kalpasanna, napanak iti Ruangan ti Burayok ken iti tangke ti ari. Nailet unay ti disso a paglasatan ti ayup a pagsaksakayak.
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 Isu a napankami iti dayta a rabii iti tanap ket sinukimatmi ti pader, nagsubliak ket simrekak iti Ruangan ti Tanap ket nakasubliak ngarud.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 Saan nga ammo dagiti mangiturturay ti napanak wenno ti inaramidko ken saanko pay nga impakaammo kadagiti Judio, wenno kadagiti padi, wenno kadagiti opisial, wenno kadagiti mangiturturay, wenno kadagiti dadduma a nangaramid iti trabaho.
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 Kinunak kadakuada, “Makitayo ti parikut a sangsangoentayo, no kasano a nadadael ti Jerusalem ken napuoran dagiti ruangan daytoy. Umaykayo, ket bangonentayo manen ti pader ti Jerusalem tapno saantayon a maibabain.”
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 Imbagak kadakuada nga adda kaniak ti ima ti Dios ken kasta met dagiti sao ti ari nga imbagana kaniak. Kinunada, “Tumakdertayo ket bangonentayo.” Isu a pinapigsada dagiti imada para iti nasayaat a trabaho.
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 Ngem idi nadamag da Sanballat a Horonita, Tobias, ti adipen nga Ammonita ken Gesem nga Arabo ti maipapan iti daytoy, linalais ken kinatkatawaandakami, ket kinunada, “Ania ti ar-aramidenyo? Busbusorenyo kadi ti ari?”
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 Ket insungbatko kadakuada, “Ti Dios ti langit ti mangted kadakami iti balligi. Adipennakami ket rugiananmi ti agpatakder. Ngem awan ti bingayyo, awan ti karbenganyo ken awan ti pasetyo iti pakasaritaan ti 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.”
