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.”
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Nehemi mus Yeluxalees
1Thaum lub hli Nixa⚓ yog xyoo nees nkaum uas Athaxawxi ua vajntxwv, thaum muab cawv txiv hmab txawb rau ntawm nws lub xubntiag, kuv thiab cawv txiv hmab cev rau vajntxwv. Ua ntej ntawd kuv tsis txeev ua ntsej muag mluas mlob rau ntawm nws xubntiag li. 2Ces vajntxwv hais rau kuv tias, “Koj twb tsis muaj mob, ua cas koj mluas mlob? Qhov uas koj mluas mlob tsuas yog koj ntxhov siab xwb kaj.” Ces kuv ntshai heev, 3kuv thiaj hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Thov kom vajntxwv muaj txojsia nyob mus ib txhis. Ua cas kuv yuav tsis mluas mlob rau thaum lub nroog uas log kuv tej poj koob yawm txwv raug muab tso tseg nyob do cuas thiab tej rooj loog kuj raug hluavtaws kub puam tsuaj tag?” 4Ces vajntxwv txawm hais rau kuv tias, “Koj xav thov dabtsi?” Kuv txawm thov Vajtswv ntuj. 5Thiab kuv teb vajntxwv tias, “Vajntxwv, yog koj pom zoo, thiab koj txaus siab rau kuv uas yog koj tus tub qhe, mas thov koj tso kuv mus rau hauv Yuda tebchaws mus rau hauv lub nroog uas log kuv tej poj koob yawm txwv, xwv kuv thiaj tau tsim kho lub nroog ntawd dua tshiab.” 6Ces vajntxwv hais rau kuv rau thaum poj vaj nyob ntawm vajntxwv ib sab hais tias, “Koj yuav mus ntev li cas, thaum twg koj li rov los?” Yog li no vajntxwv thiaj txaus siab tso kuv mus. Ces kuv thiaj teem sijhawm. 7Thiab kuv hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Yog vajntxwv pom zoo, thov ua ntawv rau kuv coj mus rau cov thawj uas kav lub xeev sab dej Yufeti hnub poob xwv lawv thiaj tso cai rau kuv hla zuj zus mus txog Yuda tebchaws. 8Thiab thov ua ntawv hais rau Axas uas kav vajntxwv lub hav zoov kom nws muab ntoo rau kuv ua tej npuab rooj rau lub chaw ruaj khov ntawm lub tuam tsev thiab ua lub nroog tej ntsa loog thiab kho lub tsev uas kuv yuav mus nyob.” Vajntxwv thiaj pub txhua yam uas kuv thov rau kuv vim yog Vajtswv txhais tes zoo roos rawv kuv. 9Ces kuv thiaj los txog cov thawj uas kav lub xeev sab dej Yufeti hnub poob thiab muab tej ntawv uas vajntxwv sau rau lawv. Vajntxwv kuj txib cov thawj tub rog thiab cov tub rog caij nees nrog kuv mus. 10Thaum Xanpala uas yog neeg Hauloo thiab tus nom tswv Thaunpia uas yog neeg Asmoo hnov zaj no, mas ob tug tsis txaus siab heev rau qhov uas muaj ib tug tuaj pab cov Yixayee kom tau zoo.
Nehemi ncig saib xyuas tej ntsa loog
11Kuv thiaj los txog Yeluxalees thiab so tau peb hnub. 12Ces kuv txawm sawv tsaus ntuj nti coj qee leej nrog kuv mus. Kuv tsis qhia rau leejtwg paub tias kuv tus Vajtswv tau muab dabtsi rau hauv kuv lub siab kom pab Yeluxalees. Kuv tsis muaj dua lwm tus tsiaj tsuas muaj tus uas kuv caij xwb. 13Thaum tsaus ntuj nti kuv tawm Rooj Loog Hav mus txog lub Qhov Dej Zaj⚓ thiab mus txog Rooj Loog Tshwj Xuam. Kuv tshuaj saib Yeluxalees tej ntsa loog uas pob tag thiab tej rooj loog uas raug hluavtaws kub puam tsuaj tag. 14Ces kuv txawm hla mus rau Rooj Loog Dej Txhawv thiab mus txog vajntxwv lub pas dej, tiamsis tsis tau kev rau tus tsiaj uas kuv caij hla mus. 15Kuv thiaj mus tsaus ntuj nti hauv lub hav tshuaj saib lub ntsa loog, thiab tig rov los nkag Rooj Loog Hav thiaj rov los tsev. 16Cov nom tswv kuj tsis paub tias kuv mus qhovtwg lossis kuv mus ua dabtsi. Kuv tsis tau qhia rau cov Yudai, tsis hais cov pov thawj thiab cov uas ua hlob thiab cov thawj thiab lwm tus uas yuav ua tej haujlwm ntawd. 17Ces kuv txawm hais rau lawv tias, “Nej kuj pom tias peb poob rau hauv txojkev txom nyem li cas lawm, vim yog qhov uas lub nroog Yeluxalees pob tag thiab tej rooj loog kub hnyiab tag. Cia li tuaj es peb ua lub ntsa loog Yeluxalees dua tshiab xwv peb thiaj tsis raug txaj muag.” 18Thiab kuv hais rau lawv paub txog qhov uas kuv tus Vajtswv txhais tes roos rawv kuv ua zoo rau kuv thiab paub txog tej lus uas vajntxwv tau hais rau kuv. Mas lawv hais tias, “Peb cia li nqes tes ua dua tshiab.” Lawv thiaj koom siab nqes tes ua yam uas zoo ntawd. 19Thaum Xanpala uas yog neeg Hauloo thiab tus nom tswv Thaunpia uas yog neeg Asmoo thiab Kesee uas yog neeg Alam hnov zaj no, lawv thuam luag saib tsis taus peb thiab hais tias, “Nej ua dabtsi li no? Nej fav xeeb rau vajntxwv lov?” 20Mas kuv teb lawv tias, “Vajtswv Ntuj yuav pab kom peb ua kom tiav. Peb cov uas yog nws cov tub qhe yuav nqes tes ua. Tiamsis nej tsis muaj feem tsis muaj cai tsis muaj ib yam dabtsi uas nrog Yeluxalees koom kiag li.”