Nehemiah 2
1 Ní oṣù Nisani, ní ogún ọdún ìjọba ọba Artasasta, nígbà tí a gbé wáìnì wá fún un, mo gbé wáìnì náà, mo fi fún ọba, ìbànújẹ́ kò hàn ní ojú mi rí ní iwájú rẹ̀.
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 Nítorí náà ni ọba béèrè lọ́wọ́ mi pé, “Èéṣe tí ojú rẹ fi fàro nígbà tí kò rẹ̀ ọ́? Èyí kì í ṣe ohun mìíràn bí kò ṣe ìbànújẹ́ ọkàn.” Ẹ̀rù bà mí gidigidi,
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 ṣùgbọ́n mo wí fún ọba pé, “Kí ọba kí ó pẹ́! Èéṣe tí ojú mi ko ṣe ní fàro, nígbà tí ìlú tí a sin àwọn baba mi sí wà ní ahoro, tí a sì ti fi iná run àwọn ibodè rẹ̀?”
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 Ọba wí fún mi pé, “Kí ni ìwọ ń fẹ́?” Nígbà náà, ni mo gbàdúrà sí Ọlọ́run ọ̀run,
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 mo sì dá ọba lóhùn pé, “Ti ó bá wu ọba, tí ìránṣẹ́ rẹ bá sì rí ojúrere ní ojú rẹ, jẹ́ kí ó rán mi lọ sí ìlú náà ní Juda níbi tí a sin àwọn baba mi nítorí kí èmi lè tún un kọ́.”
“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 Nígbà náà ni ọba, pẹ̀lú ìyàwó rẹ̀ tí ó jókòó lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́ rẹ̀, bi mí pé, “Báwo ni ìrìnàjò náà yóò ṣe pẹ́ ọ tó, nígbà wo sì ni ìwọ yóò padà?” Ó dùn mọ́ ọba láti rán mi lọ, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni mo dá àkókò kan.
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 Mo sì tún wí fún ọba pé, “Bí ó bá wu ọba, kí ó fún mi ní lẹ́tà sí àwọn baálẹ̀ òkè odò Eufurate kí wọ́n le mú mi kọjá títí èmi yóò fi dé Juda láìléwu.
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 Kí èmi sì gba lẹ́tà kan lọ́wọ́ fún Asafu, olùṣọ́ igbó ọba, nítorí kí ó lè fún mi ní igi láti fi ṣe àtẹ́rígbà fún ibodè ilé ìṣọ́ tẹmpili àti fún odi ìlú náà àti fún ilé tí èmi yóò gbé?” Nítorí ọwọ́ àánú Ọlọ́run mi wà lórí mi, ọba fi ìbéèrè mi fún mi.
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 Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni mo lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn baálẹ̀ agbègbè Eufurate, mo sì fún wọn ní àwọn lẹ́tà ọba. Ọba sì ti rán àwọn ológun àti àwọn ẹlẹ́ṣin ogun pẹ̀lú mi.
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 Nígbà tí Sanballati ará Horoni àti Tobiah ará a Ammoni tí wọ́n jẹ́ ìjòyè gbọ́ nípa èyí pé, ẹnìkan wá láti mú ìtẹ̀síwájú bá àlàáfíà àwọn ará Israẹli inú bí wọn gidigidi.
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 Mo sì lọ sí Jerusalẹmu, lẹ́yìn ìgbà tí mo dúró níbẹ̀ fún ọjọ́ mẹ́ta.
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 Mo jáde ní òru pẹ̀lú àwọn ọkùnrin díẹ̀. Èmi kò sì sọ fún ẹnìkankan ohun tí Ọlọ́run mi ti fi sí ọkàn mi láti ṣe fún Jerusalẹmu. Kò sí ẹranko kankan pẹ̀lú mi, bí kò ṣe ọ̀kan ṣoṣo tí mo gùn.
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 Ní òru, mo jáde lọ sí àfonífojì ibodè sí ìhà kànga Jakali àti sí ẹnu ibodè Ààtàn àti ẹnu ibodè rẹ̀ èyí tí ó ti wó odi Jerusalẹmu tí ó lulẹ̀, tí a ti fi iná sun.
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 Nígbà náà ni mo lọ sí ẹnu ibodè orísun àti sí adágún omi ọba, ṣùgbọ́n kò sí ààyè tó fún ẹranko mi láti kọjá;
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 bẹ́ẹ̀ ni mo gòkè àfonífojì ní òru, mo ń wo odi. Ní ìparí, mo padà sẹ́yìn, mo sì tún wọlé láti ibodè àfonífojì.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 Àwọn olórí kò mọ ibi tí mo lọ tàbí mọ ohun tí mo ń ṣe, nítorí èmi kò tí ì sọ fún àwọn ará Júù tàbí àwọn àlùfáà tàbí àwọn ọlọ́lá tàbí àwọn ìjòyè tàbí ẹnikẹ́ni mìíràn tí yóò máa ṣe iṣẹ́ náà.
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 Nígbà náà ni mo sọ fún wọn pé, “Ṣé ẹ rí wàhálà tí a ni: Jerusalẹmu wà nínú ìparun, ibodè rẹ̀ ni a sì ti fi iná jó. Ẹ wá, ẹ jẹ́ kí a tún odi Jerusalẹmu mọ, àwa kò sì ní jẹ́ ẹni ẹ̀gàn mọ́”.
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 Èmi sì tún sọ fún wọn nípa bí ọwọ́ àánú Ọlọ́run mi ṣe wà lára mi àti ohun tí ọba ti sọ fún mi. Wọ́n dáhùn wí pé, “Ẹ jẹ́ kí a bẹ̀rẹ̀ àtúnmọ rẹ̀.” Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọ́n sì bẹ̀rẹ̀ iṣẹ́ rere yìí.
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 Ṣùgbọ́n nígbà tí Sanballati ará a Horoni, Tobiah ara olóyè Ammoni àti Geṣemu ará a Arabia gbọ́ nípa rẹ̀, wọ́n fi wá ṣe ẹlẹ́yà, wọ́n sì fi wá ṣe ẹ̀sín. Wọ́n béèrè pé, “Kí ni èyí tí ẹ ń ṣe yìí? Ṣé ẹ ń ṣọ̀tẹ̀ sí ọba ni?”
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 Mo dá wọn lóhùn, mo wí fún wọn pé, “Ọlọ́run ọ̀run yóò fún wa ní àṣeyọrí. Àwa ìránṣẹ́ rẹ̀ yóò bẹ̀rẹ̀ láti tún un mọ, ṣùgbọ́n fún un yin, ẹ̀yin kò ní ìpín tàbí ipa tàbí ẹ̀tọ́ ohunkóhun tí ó jẹ mọ́ ìtàn ní Jerusalẹmu.”
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.”
