1In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, 3but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls
11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 13By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal⚓ Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. 17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. 19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” 20I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
2
Nehemi moog Yeluxalee
1Thaus lub hli Nixa⚓ yog xyoo neeg nkaum kws Athaxawxi ua vaajntxwv, thaus muab cawv txwv maab txawb rua ntawm nwg lub xubndag, kuv thab cawv txwv maab cev rua vaajntxwv. Ua ntej ntawd kuv tsw txeev ua ntsej muag mluag mlob rua ntawm nwg xubndag le. 2Tes vaajntxwv has rua kuv tas, “Koj tub tsw muaj mob, ua caag koj mluag quas mlob? Qhov kws koj mluag mlob tsuas yog koj ntxhuv sab xwb kaj.” Tes kuv ntshai heev, 3kuv txhad has rua vaajntxwv tas, “Thov kuas vaajntxwv muaj txujsa nyob moog ib txhws. Ua caag kuv yuav tsw mluag mlob rua thaus lub nroog kws log kuv tej laug raug muab tso tseg nyob do cuas hab tej rooj loog kuj raug suavtawg kub puam tsuaj taag?” 4Tes vaajntxwv txawm has rua kuv tas, “Koj xaav thov daabtsw?” Kuv txawm thov Vaajtswv ntuj. 5Hab kuv teb vaajntxwv tas, “Vaajntxwv, yog koj pum zoo, hab koj txaus sab rua kuv kws yog koj tug tub qhe, mas thov koj tso kuv moog rua huv Yuta tebchaws moog rua huv lub nroog kws log kuv tej laug, sub kuv txhad tau tswm khu lub nroog hov dua tshab.” 6Tes vaajntxwv has rua kuv rua thaus puj vaaj nyob ntawm vaajntxwv ib saab has tas, “Koj yuav moog ntev le caag, thaus twg koj le rov lug?” Yog le nuav vaajntxwv txhad txaus sab tso kuv moog. Tes kuv txhad teem swjhawm. 7Hab kuv has rua vaajntxwv tas, “Yog vaajntxwv pum zoo, thov ua ntawv rua kuv coj moog rua cov thawj kws kaav lub xeev saab dej Yufeti nub poob sub puab txhad tso cai rua kuv hlaa quas zug moog txug Yuta tebchaws. 8Hab thov ua ntawv has rua Axas kws kaav vaajntxwv lub haav zoov kuas nwg muab ntoo rua kuv ua tej puab rooj rua lub chaw ruaj khov ntawm lub tuam tsev hab ua lub nroog tej ntsaa loog hab khu lub tsev kws kuv yuav moog nyob.” Vaajntxwv txhad pub txhua yaam kws kuv thov rua kuv vem yog Vaajtswv txhais teg zoo roog rawv kuv. 9Tes kuv txhad lug txug cov thawj kws kaav lub xeev saab dej Yufeti nub poob hab muab tej ntawv kws vaajntxwv sau rua puab. Vaajntxwv kuj khaiv cov thawj tub rog hab cov tub rog caij neeg nrug kuv moog. 10Thaus Xaanpala kws yog tuabneeg Hauloo hab tug num tswv Thaunpia kws yog tuabneeg Aamoo nov zaaj nuav, mas ob tug tsw txaus sab heev tsua qhov kws muaj ib tug tuaj paab cov Yixayee kuas tau zoo.
Nehemi ncig saib tej ntsaa loog
11Kuv txhad lug txug Yeluxalee hab su tau peb nub. 12Tes kuv txawm sawv tsaus ntuj nti coj qee leej nrug kuv moog. Kuv tsw qha rua leejtwg paub tas kuv tug Vaajtswv tau muab daabtsw rua huv kuv lub sab kuas paab Yeluxalee. Kuv tsw muaj dua lwm tug tsaj tsuas muaj tug kws kuv caij xwb. 13Thaus tsaus ntuj nti kuv tawm Rooj Loog Haav moog txug lub Qhov Dej Zaaj⚓ hab moog txug Rooj Loog Tshwj Xuam. Kuv tshuaj saib Yeluxalee tej ntsaa loog kws pob taag hab tej rooj loog kws raug suavtawg kub puam tsuaj taag. 14Tes kuv txawm hlaa moog rua Rooj Loog Dej Txhawv hab moog txug vaajntxwv lub paag dej, tassws tsw tau kev rua tug tsaj kws kuv caij hlaa moog. 15Kuv txhad moog tsaus ntuj nti huv lub haav tshuaj saib lub ntsaa loog, hab tig rov lug nkaag Rooj Loog Haav txhad rov lug tsev. 16Cov num tswv kuj tsw paub tas kuv moog hovtwg lossws kuv moog ua daabtsw. Kuv tsw tau qha rua cov Yutai, tsw has cov pov thawj hab cov kws ua hlub hab cov thawj hab lwm tug kws yuav ua tej num hov. 17Tes kuv txawm has rua puab tas, “Mej kuj pum tas peb poob rua huv txujkev txom nyem le caag lawm, vem yog qhov kws lub nroog Yeluxalee pob taag hab tej rooj loog kub nyab taag. Ca le tuaj es peb ua lub ntsaa loog Yeluxalee dua tshab sub peb txhad tsw raug txaaj muag.” 18Hab kuv has rua puab paub txug qhov kws kuv tug Vaajtswv txhais teg roog rawv kuv ua zoo rua kuv hab paub txug tej lug kws vaajntxwv tau has rua kuv. Mas puab has tas, “Peb ca le nqeg teg ua dua tshab.” Puab txhad koom sab nqeg teg ua yaam kws zoo hov. 19Thaus Xaanpala kws yog tuabneeg Hauloo hab tug num tswv Thaunpia kws yog tuabneeg Aamoo hab Kesee kws yog tuabneeg Alam nov zaaj nuav, puab thuaj luag saib tsw taug peb hab has tas, “Mej ua daabtsw le nuav? Mej faav xeeb rua vaajntxwv lov?” 20Mas kuv teb puab tas, “Vaajtswv Ntuj yuav paab kuas peb ua kuas tav. Peb cov kws yog nwg cov tub qhe yuav nqeg teg ua. Tassws mej tsw muaj feem tsw muaj cai tsw muaj ib yaam daabtsw kws nrug Yeluxalee koom hlo le.”