Nehemaia 1

1 Ko e ngaahi lea ʻa Nehemaia ko e foha ʻo Hakalia. Pea ʻi he māhina ko Kisilu, ʻi hono uofulu ʻoe taʻu, ʻi heʻeku ʻi Susani ko e fale ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe hoko ʻo pehē,

The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. And it happened that, in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, I was in the capital city of Susa.

2 Naʻe haʻu ʻa Hanani, ko hoku kāinga ʻe taha, ʻaia mo e kau tangata ʻo Siuta; pea naʻaku fehuʻi kiate kinautolu ki he kau Siu naʻe hoko ʻo hao, ʻaia naʻe toe ʻi he fakapōpula, pea ki Selūsalema.

And Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived, he and some men of Judah. And I questioned them about the Jews who had remained and were left behind from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3 Pea naʻa nau pehē kiate au, Ko kinautolu naʻe tuku ʻi he fonua ʻo ʻikai fakapōpulaʻi ʻoku tuʻutāmaki lahi pea ongokovi lahi: pea kuo holoki hifo foki ʻae ʻā maka ʻo Selūsalema, pea kuo tutu hono ngaahi matapā ʻaki ʻae afi.

And they said to me: “Those who have remained and have been left behind from the captivity, there in the province, are in great affliction and in disgrace. And the wall of Jerusalem has been broken apart, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

4 Pea ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he ngaahi lea ni, naʻaku nofo hifo ʻo tangi, pea fai fakamamahi ʻi he ʻaho niʻihi, pea u ʻaukai, mo lotu ki he ʻOtua ʻoe langi,

And when I had heard this manner of words, I sat down, and I wept and mourned for many days. I fasted and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.

5 ‌ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻoe langi, ko e ʻOtua lahi mo fakamanavahē, ʻoku ke tauhi ʻae fuakava mo e angaʻofa maʻanautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate ia pea tokanga ʻo fai ki heʻene ngaahi fekau;

And I said: “I beg you, O Lord, God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love you and who keep your commandments:

6 Ko eni ke tokanga ʻa ho telinga, pea ʻa ho fofonga, koeʻuhi ke ke fanongo ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, ʻaia ʻoku ou lotu ai ʻi he ʻao ni, ʻi he ʻaho mo e pō, koeʻuhi ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻaia kuo mau fai ʻo angatuʻu kiate koe; ko au mo e fale ʻo ʻeku tamai kuo mau fai angahala.

may your ears be attentive, and may your eyes be open, so that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I am praying before you today, night and day, for the sons of Israel, your servants. And I am confessing the sins of the sons of Israel, which they have sinned against you. We have sinned, I and my father’s house.

7 Kuo mau fai kovi lahi kiate koe, pea naʻe ʻikai te mau tauhi ʻa hoʻo ngaahi fekau, pe ko hoʻo ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo hoʻo ngaahi fakamaau, ʻaia naʻa ke fekau ʻi hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko Mōsese.

We have been seduced by vanity. And we have not kept your commandments and ceremonies and judgments, which you have instructed to your servant Moses.

8 ‌ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke manatu ki he folofola naʻa ke fekau ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko Mōsese, ʻo pehē, ‘Kapau ʻoku mou fai hala, te u fakamovetevete ʻakimoutolu ki he ngaahi puleʻanga:

Remember the word which you commanded to your servant Moses, saying: ‘When you will have transgressed, I will disperse you among the nations.

9 Pea kapau te mou tafoki kiate au, pea tauhi ʻeku ngaahi fekau, pea fai ki ai; ka ne ai homou niʻihi naʻe kapusi kituaʻā ki he ngataʻanga mamaʻo ʻoe langi, ka te u tānaki ʻakinautolu mei ai, pea te u ʻomi ʻakinautolu ki he potu ʻaia kuo u fili ke tuku ʻi ai hoku hingoa.’

But if you will return to me, and keep my precepts, and do them, even if you will have been led away to the furthest reaches of the heavens, I will gather you from there, and I will lead you back to the place that I have chosen so that my name would dwell there.’

10 Pea ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki eni, mo ho kakai, ʻaia naʻa ke huhuʻi ʻi ho mālohi lahi, pea ʻi ho nima mālohi.

And these same are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great strength and by your powerful hand.

11 ‌ʻE Sihova, ʻoku ou kole ni kiate koe, ke tokanga ʻe ho fofonga ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, pea ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻaia ʻoku holi ke manavahē ki ho huafa: ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke tāpuaki ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki he ʻaho ni, pea ke tuku ke maʻu ʻe ia ʻae angaʻofa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tangata ni.” He ko e fua ipu au ʻoe tuʻi.

I beg you, O Lord, may your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who are willing to fear your name. And so, guide your servant today, and grant to him mercy before this man.” For I was the cupbearer of the king.