Nehemia 2
1 Mumwedzi waNisani mugore ramakumi maviri raMambo Atazekisesi, panguva yaakavigirwa waini, ndakatora waini ndikapa kuna mambo. Handina kumbenge ndambosuruvara zvakadai pamberi pake.
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 Saka mambo akandibvunza akati, “Ko, chiso chako chinoratidza kusuwa seiko iwe usingarwari? Hapangavi nechimwe chinhu asi shungu dzomwoyo bedzi.” Ndakatya kwazvo,
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 asi ndakati kuna mambo, “Mambo ngaararame nokusingaperi! Ko, chiso changu chingatadza kupunyaira seiko kana guta rakavigwa madzibaba angu rava dongo uye masuo aro aparadzwa nomoto?”
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 Mambo akati kwandiri, “Chii chauri kuda?” Ipapo ndakanyengetera kuna Mwari wokudenga,
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 ndikapindura mambo ndichiti, “Kana zvichifadza mambo uye kana muranda wenyu awana nyasha pamberi pake, mambo ngaanditumire kuguta riri kuJudha kwakavigwa madzibaba angu kuitira kuti ndinorivakazve.”
“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 Ipapo mambo, navahosi vakagara parutivi pake, akandibvunza akati, “Rwendo rwako runotora mazuva mangani, uye uchadzoka rinhi?” Naizvozvo zvakafadza mambo kuti anditume; saka ndakatara nguva.
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 Ndakatizve kwaari, “Kana mambo achifadzwa nazvo, ndingapiwawo tsamba here dzinoenda kuvabati vari mhiri kwaYufuratesi, kuitira kuti vagondipa mvumo yokupfuura kusvikira ndasvika muJudha?
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 Uye ndinokumbirawo tsamba inoenda kuna Asafi, muchengeti wesango ramambo, kuitira kuti azondipa matanda okuchinjika pamusoro pamasuo enhare iri patemberi uye neorusvingo rweguta neeimba yandichagara?” Mambo akandipa zvandakakumbira, nokuti ruoko rwenyasha rwaMwari wangu rwaiva pamusoro pangu.
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 Saka ndakaenda kuvabati vaiva mhiri kwaYufuratesi ndikavapa tsamba dzamambo. Zvino mambo akanga atumawo pamwe chete neni vakuru vehondo navatasvi vamabhiza.
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 Sanibharati muHoroni naTobhia muranda wavaAmoni pavakazvinzwa vakashatirwa kwazvo vachiti kwauya mumwe anoda kusimudzira magariro akanaka avaIsraeri.
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 Naizvozvo ndakaenda kuJerusarema ndikagarako kwamazuva matatu.
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 Ndakamuka usiku navarume vashoma shoma. Ndakanga ndisina kumboudza munhu zvakanga zvaiswa mumwoyo mangu naMwari wangu kuti ndiite muJerusarema. Pakanga pasina chimwe chipfuwo kunze kwechandakanga ndakatasva.
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 Ndakabuda usiku ndikapinda napaSuo roMupata ndakananga nokuTsime reShato nokuSuo raMarara, ndichiongorora masvingo eJerusarema, akanga akoromorwa, uye masuo awo, akanga aparadzwa nomoto.
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 Ipapo ndakapfuurira mberi ndakananga kuSuo reTsime nokuDziva raMambo, asi pakanga pasina nzvimbo yokupinda nechipfuwo changu;
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 saka ndakakwidza nokumupata nousiku, ndichiongorora rusvingo. Pakupedzisira, ndakadzoka ndikapindazve napakati peSuo roMupata.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 Vabati havana kuziva kwandakanga ndaenda kana zvandakanga ndichiita, nokuti ndakanga ndisati ndambotaura chinhu kuvaJudha kana kuvaprista kana vakuru kana vabati, kana vamwewo zvavo vaizoita basa.
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 Ipapo ndakati kwavari, “Muri kuona dambudziko ratinaro here: Jerusarema rava dongo, uye masuo aro akapiswa nomoto. Uyai, ngativakeizve rusvingo rweJerusarema, kuti tisazonyadziswazve.”
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 Ndakavaudza pamusoro poruoko rwenyasha rwaMwari wangu rwaiva pamusoro pangu uye zvakanga zvataurwa namambo kwandiri. Ivo vakati, “Ngatitangei kuvaka.” Saka vakatanga basa rakanaka iri.
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 Asi Sanibharati muHoroni, naTobhia muranda wavaAmoni naGeshemu muArabhu vakati vazvinzwa, vakatiseka uye vakatizvidza. Vakatibvunza vachiti, “Chiiko ichi chamuri kuita? Muri kumukira mambo kanhi?”
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 Ndakavapindura ndikati, “Mwari wokudenga achaita kuti tibudirire. Isu varanda vake tichatanga kuvaka asi kana murimi, hamuna mugove kana simba kana chirangaridzo paJerusarema.”
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.”
