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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.”

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Y-Nêhêmi nao kơ Ƀuôn Yêrusalem

¹Hlăm mlan Nisan hlăm thŭn tal dua pluh mtao Artasersês, tơdah mâo êa boh kriăk ƀâo ti anăp mtao, kâo mă êa boh kriăk ƀâo leh anăn brei kơ mtao. Kâo amâo tuôm dôk ênguôt ôh ti anăp ñu. ²Mtao lač kơ kâo, “Si ngă ƀô̆ mta ih ênguôt, dlăng kơ ih amâo mâo ruă ôh? Klei anei amâo mâo klei mkăn ôh knŏng klei ênguôt hlăm ai tiê.” Leh anăn kâo huĭ snăk sơưn. ³ Kâo lač kơ mtao, “Hmưi kơ mtao dôk hdĭp lă lar! Si ƀô̆ mta kâo amâo jing ênguôt lĕ tơdah ƀuôn anôk msat phung aê kâo dôk rai, leh anăn ƀăng jang ñu pui ƀơ̆ng leh?” ⁴Mtao lač kơ kâo, “Ya mta klei ih čiăng lĕ?” Snăn kâo wah lač kơ Aê Diê hlăm adiê, ⁵leh anăn kâo lač kơ mtao, “Tơdah mtao mĭn jăk, leh anăn tơdah dĭng buăl ih mâo leh klei pap ti anăp ală ih, tiŏ nao bĕ kâo kơ čar Yuđa kơ ƀuôn anôk msat phung aê kâo, čiăng kơ kâo dưi lŏ mdơ̆ng gơ̆.” ⁶Mtao êmuh kâo, êjai mtao mniê dôk gŭ giăm ñu, “Dŭm boh sui ih srăng êkŭt, leh anăn hbĭl ih srăng lŏ wĭt?” Snăn yơh mtao mĭn jăk tiŏ nao kâo; leh anăn kâo bi kčah hruê kơ ñu. ⁷Kâo lŏ akâo kơ mtao, “Tơdah mtao mĭn jăk, mtă kơ arăng brei kơ kâo hră mơĭt kơ phung khua čar nah Yŭ Êa Krông Ơphrat, čiăng kơ diñu brei kâo găn nao tơl kâo truh ti čar Yuđa, ⁸leh anăn sa pŏk hră mơĭt kơ Y-Asap pô kiă kmrơ̆ng mtao, čiăng kơ ñu brei kơ kâo kyâo pioh ngă kmeh ƀăng jang kđông mgang sang yang leh anăn kơ mnư̆ ƀuôn, leh anăn kơ sang kâo srăng dôk.” Mtao brei kơ kâo ya mnơ̆ng kâo akâo leh, kyuadah kngan jăk Aê Diê dôk ti kâo.
⁹Kâo truh kơ phung khua čar nah Yŭ Êa Krông leh anăn kâo brei kơ diñu hră mtao mơĭt. Mtao tiŏ nao leh mbĭt hŏng kâo phung khua kahan leh anăn phung đĭ aseh. ¹⁰Ƀiădah tơdah Y-Sanbalat êkei Hôrôn leh anăn Y-Tôbia khua phung Amôn hmư̆ klei anei, klei anei diñu ngêñ snăk, kyuadah arăng hriê duah ngă klei jăk kơ phung anak Israel.

Y-Nêhêmi Bi Mđĭ Ai Phung Ƀuôn Sang Lŏ Mdơ̆ng Mnư̆

¹¹Tlâo hruê leh kâo truh kơ ƀuôn Yêrusalem, ¹²Kâo kgŭ êjai mlam, kâo leh anăn đa đa êkei mbĭt hŏng kâo. Kâo amâo yăl dliê ôh kơ sa čô ya klei Aê Diê kâo dưm leh hlăm ai tiê kâo, klei kâo srăng ngă kơ ƀuôn Yêrusalem. Amâo mâo ôh sa drei mnơ̆ng mkăn mbĭt hŏng kâo, knŏng aseh dliê kâo đĭ. ¹³Kâo kbiă êjai mlam ti Ƀăng Jang Tlung truh kơ Kbăng Êa Asâo Tan, leh anăn truh kơ Ƀăng Jang Djah, leh anăn kâo ksiêm mnư̆ ƀuôn Yêrusalem klưh leh, leh anăn ƀăng jang pui bi rai leh. ¹⁴Kâo hlŏng nao kơ Ƀăng Jang Akŏ Êa leh anăn kơ Êa Ênao Mtao. Ƀiădah amâo mâo anôk ôh kơ hlô kâo đĭ dưi găn. ¹⁵Leh anăn kâo đĭ êjai mlam ktuê tlung leh anăn ksiêm mnư̆; kâo wir leh anăn mŭt ti Ƀăng Jang Tlung, snăn yơh kâo wĭt. ¹⁶Phung khua amâo thâo ôh ti anôk kâo nao leh anăn ya kâo ngă leh; leh anăn kâo ka hưn ôh kơ phung Yuđa, kơ phung khua ngă yang, kơ phung mdrŏng, kơ phung khua, leh anăn kơ phung mkăn srăng mă bruă.
¹⁷Kâo lač kơ diñu, “Diih ƀuh leh klei dleh drei mâo, klei ƀuôn Yêrusalem dôk rai leh anăn ƀăng jang gơ̆ pui ƀơ̆ng leh. Hriê bĕ, brei drei mdơ̆ng mnư̆ ƀuôn Yêrusalem, čiăng đăm drei lŏ tŭ klei hêñ ôh.” ¹⁸Kâo hưn kơ diñu kơ kngan Aê Diê kâo dôk leh ti kâo kơ klei jăk, leh anăn msĕ mơh kơ klei blŭ mtao hưn leh kơ kâo. Diñu lač, “Bơ bĕ drei kgŭ leh anăn mdơ̆ng.” Snăn diñu bi ktang kngan diñu kơ bruă jăk. ¹⁹Ƀiădah tơdah Y-Sanbalat êkei Hôrôn leh anăn Y-Tôbia khua phung Amôn leh anăn Y-Gêsem êkei Arap hmư̆ klei anăn, diñu tlao mưč bi êmut kơ hmei leh anăn lač, “Ya klei diih dôk ngă anei? Diih bi kdơ̆ng hŏng mtao mơ̆?” ²⁰Kâo lŏ wĭt lač kơ diñu, “Aê Diê hlăm adiê srăng brei hmei dưi, leh anăn hmei phung dĭng buăl ñu srăng kgŭ leh anăn mdơ̆ng; ƀiădah diih amâo mâo sa kdrêč amâodah klei dưi amâodah klei bi hdơr hlăm ƀuôn Yêrusalem ôh.”