Nehemia 2
1 Katika mwezi wa Nisani mwaka wa ishirini wa utawala wa Mfalme Artashasta, wakati divai ilipoletwa kwake, niliichukua na kumpa mfalme. Sikuwahi kuonekana mwenye huzuni mbele yake kabla ya hapo.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence.
2 Basi mfalme akaniuliza, “Kwa nini uso wako unaonekana una huzuni wakati wewe si mgonjwa? Jambo hili si kitu kingine bali ni huzuni ya moyo.” Niliogopa sana,
And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.
3 lakini nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme na aishi milele! Kwa nini uso wangu usiwe na huzuni wakati mji walipozikwa baba zangu umebaki magofu, na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto?”
And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4 Mfalme akaniambia, “Je, haja yako ni gani?” Ndipo nikaomba kwa Mungu wa mbinguni,
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 na nikamjibu mfalme, “Kama ikimpendeza mfalme, na kama mtumishi wako amepata kibali machoni pake, anitume kule mji wa Yuda, mahali baba zangu walipozikwa, ili niweze kuujenga upya.”
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 Kisha mfalme, na malkia akiwa ameketi karibu naye, akaniuliza, “Safari yako itachukua muda gani, nawe utarudi lini?” Ilimpendeza mfalme kunituma, kwa hiyo nikapanga muda.
And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him), For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Pia nikamwambia, “Kama ikimpendeza mfalme, naomba nipewe barua kwa watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Frati, ili wanipe ulinzi mpaka nifike Yuda.
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah;
8 Naomba nipewe barua nipeleke kwa Asafu, mtunzaji wa msitu wa mfalme, ili anipe miti ya kutengeneza boriti kwa ajili ya malango ya ngome ya Hekalu, na ukuta wa mji, na makao yangu nitakapoishi.” Kwa kuwa mkono wenye neema wa Mungu wangu ulikuwa juu yangu, mfalme akanijalia ombi langu.
and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Basi nilienda kwa watawala wa Ngʼambo ya Frati na kuwapa barua za mfalme. Pia mfalme alikuwa ametuma maafisa wa jeshi na askari wapanda farasi pamoja nami.
Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 Sanbalati Mhoroni na Tobia afisa Mwamoni waliposikia juu ya jambo hili, waliudhika sana kwamba amekuja mtu kuinua ustawi wa Waisraeli.
And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 Nilienda Yerusalemu, na baada ya kukaa huko siku tatu,
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 nikaondoka wakati wa usiku pamoja na watu wachache. Sikuwa nimemwambia mtu yeyote kile ambacho Mungu wangu alikuwa ameweka moyoni mwangu kufanya kwa ajili ya Yerusalemu. Hapakuwepo na mnyama yeyote pamoja nami isipokuwa yule niliyekuwa nimempanda.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13 Nikatoka nje usiku kupitia Lango la Bondeni, kuelekea Kisima cha Joka na Lango la Samadi, nikikagua kuta za Yerusalemu zilizokuwa zimebomolewa, na malango yake yaliyokuwa yameteketezwa kwa moto.
And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14 Kisha nikaelekea mpaka Lango la Chemchemi na Bwawa la Mfalme, lakini hapakuwepo nafasi ya kutosha kwa ajili ya mnyama wangu kupita,
Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15 kwa hiyo nikapandia bondeni usiku nikikagua ukuta. Mwishoni nikarudi na kuingia tena kupitia Lango la Bondeni.
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
16 Maafisa hawakujua nilikokwenda wala nilichokuwa nikifanya, kwa sababu mpaka sasa nilikuwa bado sijasema lolote kwa Wayahudi, wala makuhani, wala wakuu, wala maafisa, wala mtu yeyote ambaye angefanya kazi.
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
17 Ndipo nilipowaambia, “Mnaona taabu tuliyo nayo: Yerusalemu imebaki magofu na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto. Njooni tujenge upya ukuta wa Yerusalemu, nasi hatutakuwa tena katika aibu hii.”
Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18 Pia niliwaambia kuhusu mkono wenye neema wa Mungu wangu uliokuwa juu yangu, na kile mfalme alichokuwa ameniambia. Wakajibu, “Haya! Tuanze kujenga tena.” Kwa hiyo wakaanza kazi hii njema.
And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also of the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good [work].
19 Lakini Sanbalati Mhoroni, Tobia afisa Mwamoni, na Geshemu Mwarabu waliposikia kuhusu jambo hili, walitudhihaki na kutucheka. Wakauliza, “Ni nini hiki mnachokifanya? Je, mnaasi dhidi ya mfalme?”
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20 Nikawajibu kwa kusema, “Mungu wa mbinguni atatufanikisha. Sisi watumishi wake tutaanza kujenga upya, lakini kwenu ninyi, hamna sehemu wala dai lolote wala kumbukumbu la haki katika Yerusalemu.”
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
