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,

[I am] Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. [I am writing] this account [of what I did when I returned to Jerusalem. After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, near the end of that year, I was in Susa, the capital [of Persia].

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.

My brother Hanani came to visit me. He and some other men had just returned from Judah. I queried them about the Jews who were living there, whose [parents] had been (exiled/taken forcefully) [to Babylonia many years previously]. I also asked them about [what was happening in] 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.

They said to me, “The Jews in Jerusalem who returned there from Babylonia are living in a very difficult situation. The walls of the city have been broken down, and even the city gates have been burned down.”

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,

When I heard that, I sat down and cried. For several days I mourned, and I (fasted/abstained from eating food), and I prayed to our God, [who is/rules] in 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;

I said, “Yahweh, [you who are/rule] in heaven, you are a wonderful and awesome God. You keep your promise to faithfully love those who love you and who obey your commands.

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.

Now please look down and listen to what I am praying. I pray during the day and at night for your Israeli people. I confess that we Israeli people have sinned. Even my family and I have sinned against you.

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 acted very wickedly. [Many years ago] your servant Moses gave us your laws and all the things you commanded us to do [DOU], but we have not obeyed/done them.

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:

“But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ([heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me]).

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 return to me and obey my commands, even if you have been exiled to very remote/distant places on the earth, I will bring you back here [to Israel], the land that I [MTY] have chosen to be honored in.’

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

“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]

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.

Yahweh, please hear this prayer of mine, and the prayers of all your people who are delighted to revere you [MTY]. Today I will go to the king, to request that he do me a great favor. Please motivate him to act kindly toward me, in order that I will be successful [in obtaining what I want].” At that time, I was the one whose work was to taste all the food and drink before it was served to the king, [to be sure that no one had put poison in it].