2

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

 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

Pơtao Prŏng Artaksekses Pơkiaŏ Nehemyah Nao Pơ Plei Yerusalaim

 1Amăng blan Nisan⚓ thŭn tal duapluh anŭn mơ̆n, amăng rơnŭk pơtao Artaksekses wai lăng, jing pă̱ blan tơdơi kơ blan Khislêwơ, hơmâo sa hrơi tơdang pơtao prŏng Artaksekses hlak dŏ ƀơ̆ng huă, kâo ba nao tơpai boh kơƀâo yơr đĭ kơ pơtao. Hlâo kơ anai, ñu ƀu ƀuh ôh ƀô̆ mơta kâo rơngot hơning hrup hăng anai, 2tui anŭn ñu tơña kơ kâo tui anai, “Yua hơget ƀô̆ mơta ih rơngot hơning biă mă lĕ? Kâo lăng ih ƀu duăm ruă ôh, tui anŭn kâo pơmĭn hơmâo tơlơi hơget yơh ngă kơ pran jua ih rơngot hơning.” Kâo huĭ hyưt biă mă, 3samơ̆ kâo laĭ glaĭ kơ pơtao tui anai, “Kwưh kiăng kơ ih, pơtao prŏng, hơdip hlŏng lar! Hiư̆m kâo ƀu rơngot hơning lĕ tơdang kâo thâo plei pla anih arăng dơ̱r laih ƀing ơi adon kâo dŏ răm rai laih anŭn hơdôm amăng ja̱ng plei anŭn ăt dŏ amăng hơbâo apui truh kơ hrơi anai mơ̆n?”⚓
  4Pơtao prŏng tơña kơ kâo tui anai, “Hơget tơlơi ih kiăng lĕ?”
 Kâo iâu laĭ Ơi Adai amăng adai adih, 5giŏng anŭn kâo laĭ glaĭ kơ pơtao tui anai, “Ơ pơtao ăh, tơdah ih mơak hăng kâo laih anŭn kiăng djru kơ tơlơi kâo rơkâo anai, kâo rơkâo kơ ih brơi kâo nao pơ plei pla amăng anih lŏn Yudah, jing plei pla arăng dơ̱r laih ƀing ơi adon kâo, tui anŭn kâo dưi ma̱n pơdơ̆ng glaĭ dơ̆ng plei pla anŭn.”
  6Giŏng anŭn, pơtao prŏng wơ̆t hăng bơnai pơtao mơ̆n dŏ jĕ ƀơi ñu, tŭ ư hăng tơlơi kâo rơkâo. Tui anŭn, tơdang pơtao tơña kơ kâo hơbĭn sui kâo či rơkŭt laih anŭn hơbĭn kâo či wơ̆t glaĭ, kâo laĭ glaĭ kơ ñu yơh.
  7Giŏng anŭn, kâo ăt rơkâo kơ pơtao mơ̆n mơak pha brơi kơ kâo hră laĭ pơthâo kơ ƀing khua kwar dŏ gah yŭ̱ kơ krong Huphrat, kiăng kơ ƀing gơñu brơi kơ kâo rơnŭk rơnua nao truh pơ anih lŏn Yudah. 8Kâo ăt rơkâo kơ pơtao dơ̆ng mơ̆n pha brơi kơ kâo sa pŏk hră rơkâo kơ khua Asap, jing pô wai lăng glai kơmrơ̆ng pơtao, kiăng kơ pha brơi kơ kâo kơyâo kiăng pơkra hơdôm tơmĕh amăng ja̱ng anih pơgang jĕ ƀơi Sang Yang, kơyâo kơ pơnăng plei laih anŭn kơ sang kâo či dŏ mơ̆n. Tui anŭn, pơtao tŭ ư hăng hơdôm tơlơi kâo rơkâo kơ ñu anŭn, yuakơ Ơi Adai khăp pap kơ kâo yơh.
  9Giŏng anŭn, pơtao brơi đơđa ƀing khua ling tơhan ñu wơ̆t hăng ƀing ling tơhan mơ̆n nao hrŏm hăng kâo, laih anŭn kâo nao truh pơ kwar čar gah yŭ̱ kơ krong Huphrat yơh. Pơ anŭn kâo brơi hră pơtao čih laih kơ ƀing khua kwar git gai wai lăng. 10Samơ̆ tơdang Sanballat, jing khua moa mơnuih Bêt-Hôrôn, laih anŭn Tôbiah, jing khua moa mơnuih mơ̆ng kwar Ammôn, hơmư̆ kơ tơlơi hơmâo mơnuih rai laih kiăng kơ ngă tơlơi hiam djru kơ ƀing Israel, ƀing gơñu rŭng răng hăng hil biă mă yơh.

Nehemyah Čuă Lăng Pơnăng Plei Yerusalaim

 11Tơdơi kơ kâo nao truh laih pơ plei Yerusalaim, amăng klâo hrơi 12kâo ƀu laĭ pơthâo kơ hlơi pô ôh kơ hơget tơlơi Ơi Adai hơmâo mă bruă laih amăng pran jua kâo kiăng pơkra glaĭ plei Yerusalaim. Giŏng anŭn, tơdang tŏng krah mlam kâo tơgŭ tơbiă nao lăng laih anŭn kâo ăt jak ba ƀiă ƀing gŏp kâo nao hrŏm hăng kâo. Ƀing gơmơi djă̱ ba hlô mơnơ̆ng đĭ hrŏm hăng ƀing gơmơi jing kơnơ̆ng sa drơi aseh glai pioh kơ kâo đĭ đôč.
  13Ăt hlak dŏ mlam mơ̆n tơdang kâo tơbiă mơ̆ng plei găn nao pơ amăng ja̱ng Dơnung gah yŭ̱ laih anŭn trŭn nao gah thu̱ng anăp nao pơ Ia Bluh Tơgrai hlŏng truh pơ Amăng Ja̱ng Kơmơ̆k. Tơdang kâo nao čuă lăng anŭn, kâo kơsem lăng abih hơdôm pơnăng plei Yerusalaim glưh pơčah hĭ laih wơ̆t hăng hơdôm amăng ja̱ng plei arăng hơmâo čuh pơrai hĭ mơ̆n. 14Giŏng anŭn, gah ngŏ̱ kơ plei Yerusalaim, kâo nao pơ gah dư̱r truh pơ amăng ja̱ng Ia Bluh laih anŭn pơ Dơnao Pơtao. Aseh glai kâo hlak dŏ đĭ anŭn ƀu dưi hơduah jơlan kiăng kơ rơbat găn hĭ anih ƀu̱r pơtâo glưh pơčah anŭn ôh, 15tui anŭn kâo wĕh trŭn nao pơ dơnung Kidrôn laih anŭn đĭ nao kơtuai dơnung anŭn kiăng kơ kơsem lăng pơnăng plei. Giŏng anŭn, kâo wơ̆t glaĭ pơ jơlan kâo hơmâo rai laih, laih anŭn ăt wơ̆t glaĭ pơ plei tui hăng jơlan amăng ja̱ng Dơnung anŭn mơ̆n. 16Abih bang ƀing khua moa plei ƀu thâo ôh pơpă kâo hơmâo nao laih ƀôdah hơget tơlơi kâo hlak dŏ ngă. Truh kơ mông anai, kâo aka pơhiăp tơlơi hơget gĕt ôh hăng ƀing Yehudi amăng plei anŭn: Anŭn jing ƀing khua ngă yang, ƀing khua pơpŭ pơyom, ƀing khua moa plei ƀôdah ƀing pơkŏn dơ̆ng jing ƀing či pơgop hrŏm amăng bruă ngă anai.
  17Giŏng anŭn, kâo pơhiăp hăng gơñu tui anai, “Lăng bĕ kơ tơlơi rŭng răng truh amăng anih ƀing ta hlak dŏ ră anai: Plei Yerusalaim răm rai laih, laih anŭn hơdôm amăng ja̱ng plei arăng hơmâo čuh pơrai hĭ laih hăng apui! Nă, brơi kơ ƀing ta pơdơ̆ng glaĭ bĕ pơnăng plei Yerusalaim kiăng kơ mă pơđuaĭ hĭ tơlơi mlâo ta anŭn.” 18Laih anŭn kâo ăt ră ruai kơ ƀing gơñu hiư̆m Ơi Adai dŏ hrŏm hăng djru kâo laih anŭn hơget tơlơi pơtao prŏng hơmâo pơhiăp laih hăng kâo.
 Ƀing gơñu laĭ glaĭ, “Nă, brơi kơ ƀing ta čơdơ̆ng pơdơ̆ng glaĭ bĕ!” Tui anŭn, ƀing gơñu čơdơ̆ng pơtrŭt kơ tơdruă kiăng kơ ngă bruă hiam anŭn yơh.
  19Tơdang ƀing khua Sanballat mơnuih Hôrôn, Tôbiah mơnuih Ammôn laih anŭn Gesem jing mơnuih Arab hơmư̆ kơ tơlơi ƀing ta pơkra hơdră či ngă anŭn, ƀing gơñu klao djik kơ ƀing ta laih anŭn laĭ, “Hơget tơlơi ƀing gih pơmĭn ƀing gih hlak ngă lĕ? Ƀing gih či pơkơdơ̆ng glaĭ hăng pơtao prŏng hă?”
  20Kâo laĭ glaĭ kơ ƀing gơñu tui anai, “Ơi Adai hăng adai adih yơh či brơi kơ ƀing gơmơi dưi Pơgiŏng hĭ kơ bruă anai. Ƀing gơmơi yơh jing ƀing ding kơna Ñu laih anŭn ƀing gơmơi či ma̱n pơdơ̆ng glaĭ yơh, samơ̆ gah kơ ƀing gih, ƀing gih ƀu hơmâo sa črăn lŏn kŏng ngăn ƀôdah tơlơi dưi ôh amăng plei Yerusalaim laih anŭn kŏn dưi pơgop hrŏm lơi amăng tơlơi phiăn kơkuh pơpŭ ƀing gơmơi.”