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
Nehemis Rov Los Rau Hauv Yeluxalees
1Tau plaub lub hlis tom qab no muaj ib hnub thaum Huabtais Ataxawxes tseem tabtom noj mov, kuv ce cawv txiv hmab mus rua nws haus. Yav tas los nws tsis tau pom dua kuv ua ntsejmuag mluas mlob li no, 2huabtais thiaj li nug kuv hais tias, “Vim li cas koj yuav mluas ua luaj? Koj twb tsis mob qhov twg ne, ua li cas zoo li koj yuav nyuaj siab ua luaj?” Kuv poob siab nthav, 3kuv thiaj teb nws hais tias, “Thov kom Huabtais muaj txojsia nyob mus ibtxhis! Kuv yuav ua li cas zais tau kuv lub ntsejmuag uas muaj kev nyuaj siab rau lub tsamthawj uas lub nroog uas yog thaj chaw thaum ub muab kuv cov yawgkoob faus rau, raug puastsuaj tas thiab tej roojvag nroog los raug luag muab hlawv kub hnyiab tas huv tibsi lawm?” 4Huabtais thiaj li nug kuv hais tias, “Yog li ntawd koj xav tau dabtsi?” Kuv thov Vajtswv tus uas nyob saum Ntuj, 5thiab kuv hais rau huabtais tias, “Yog koj txaus siab rau kuv thiab yuav pub raws li kuv tej lus thov, thov koj tso kuv rov mus rau tim tebchaws Yudas, mus rau hauv lub nroog uas yog thaj chaw faus kuv cov yawgkoob, kuv yuav mus txhim kho lub nroog ntawd dua tshiab.” 6Huabtais pom zoo li uas kuv tau thov (niam huabtais zaum ntawm huabtais ib sab). Huabtais thiaj nug kuv hais tias, “Koj yuav mus ntev li cas, koj mam li rov qab los?” Kuv thiaj qhia lub sijhawm rau nws paub. 7Ces kuv thiaj thov huabtais sau ib tsab ntawv rau kuv nqa mus rau tus tswvxeev uas kav lub xeev ntawm tus Dej Efalates sab Hnubpoob, kom kuv thiaj mus tau rau nram tebchaws Yudas. 8Thiab kuv tseem thov huabtais sau ib tsab ntawv rau Axas, tus uas zov huabtais tej havzoov, kom txiav ntoo pub rau kuv coj mus ua cov roojvag ntawm cov chaw fajxwm rau cov neeg uas nyob zov lub Tuamtsev, ua tej ntsa yeej thaiv lub nroog thiab ua ib lub tsev rau kuv nyob. Huabtais ua txhua yam rau kuv raws li kuv tau thov, rau qhov Vajtswv nrog nraim kuv nyob. 9Huabtais tau tso ib co tubrog mus taw thiab ib co tubrog caij nees nrog kuv mus, ces kuv thiaj li sawv kev mus rau ntawm tus dej Efalates sab Hnubpoob. Thaum kuv mus txog lawm, kuv thiaj li muab huabtais cov ntawv rau tus tswvxeev. 10Tiamsis Xanpalas uas yog neeg nyob hauv lub nroog Npethes Hauloos thiab Taunpias uas yog ib tug nom nyob hauv lub xeev Amoos hnov hais tias muaj ib cov neeg tau los pab ua haujlwm kom cov Yixalayees tau zoo, mas nkawd chim kawg li. 11Kuv thiaj li mus kiag rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees tau peb hnub nkaus, 12kuv yeej tsis qhia rau leejtwg paub txog qhov uas Vajtswv tshoov kuv siab kom kuv los kho lub nroog Yeluxalees li. Ces thaum ib taghmo kuv thiaj li sawv thiab coj kuv cov phoojywg qee leej nrog kuv tawm mus, tiamsis tsis tau nees txhua rau peb caij, tsuas tau ib tug neesluav rau kuv caij xwb. 13Thaum tsaus ntuj kuv thiaj tawm hauv lub nroog mus rau ntawm lub Roojvag Hav uas nyob rau sab hnubpoob thiab kuv ncig mus rau sab qabteb mus hla lub Qhovdej Zaj thiab mus rau ntawm lub Roojvag Quavhlawv. Kuv mus tshuaj xyuas lub nroog Yeluxalees tus ntsa yeej uas pob tas thiab tej roojvag uas kub hnyiab tas lawm. 14Ces kuv thiaj mus ntawm lub nroog sab hnubtuaj nce mus rau sab qaumteb, mus txog ntawm lub Roojvag Qhovdej thiab ntawm Vajntxwv lub Pasdej; tiamsis tus neesluav uas kuv caij nrhiav tsis tau kev mus li lawm. 15Yog li ntawd, kuv thiaj caij tus neesluav nqis mus rau hauv lub Hav Kiloos thiab mus saib tus ntsa yeej. Ces kuv thiaj taug kuv txoj qub kev rov qab chaws lub Roojvag Hav los rau hauv lub nroog lawm. 16Cov nomtswv uas nyob hauv lub nroog yeej tsis paub hais tias kuv mus qhov twg rau qhov twg lossis tsis paub txog tej uas kuv ua tas ntawd li. Kuv yeej tsis tau qhia ib yam dabtsi rau kuv cov phoojywg Yudas, cov povthawj, cov thawjcoj, cov nomtswv lossis lwm tus uas muaj feem yuav tau los nrog koom tuav lub luag haujlwm no hlo li thiab. 17Tiamsis nimno kuv hais rau lawv tias, “Nej twb pom tej teebmeem kev ntxhov siab uas muaj nyob hauv peb no lawm, vim hais tias lub nroog Yeluxalees puastsuaj tas nphob xuav cia thiab tej roojvag los twb puas tas lawm! Peb cia li pib txhim kho tus ntsa yeej uas thaiv lub nroog no dua tshiab, peb thiaj tsis txajmuag rau luag ntiajtog qaumpes.” 18Kuv qhia tej uas Vajtswv nrog nraim kuv, pab kuv thiab tej lus uas huabtais hais rau kuv ntawd rau lawv mloog. Lawv thiaj li lees hais tias, “Cia li pib kho tamsim no ntag!” Ces lawv txawm nqis tes pib ua haujlwm. 19Thaum Xanpalas, Tunpias thiab ib tug neeg Alav uas hu ua Nkesees hnov hais tias peb npaj ua haujlwm lawm, lawv txawm luag peb thiab hais tias, “Nej xav li cas nej thiaj yuav ua? Nej tawmtsam huabtais los?” 20Kuv teb lawv hais tias, “Vajtswv tus uas nyob saum Ntuj ceebtsheej yuav pab peb ua kom tiav. Peb yog nws cov tubtxib thiab peb tabtom pib txhim kho lawm ntag. Nej tsis muaj feem nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees no, thiab nej tsis muaj feem koom ib yam dabtsi uas nyob hauv lub nroog no hlo li.”