نَحَمْيَا 1

١ 1 كَلَامُ نَحَمْيَا بْنِ حَكَلْيَا: حَدَثَ فِي شَهْرِ كَسْلُو فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْعِشْرِينَ، بَيْنَمَا كُنْتُ فِي شُوشَنَ ٱلْقَصْرِ،

[I am] Nehemiah, the son of Hacaliah. [I am writing] this account [of what I did when I returned to Jerusalem. After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, near the end of that year, I was in Susa, the capital [of Persia].

٢ 2 أَنَّهُ جَاءَ حَنَانِي، وَاحِدٌ مِنْ إِخْوَتِي، هُوَ وَرِجَالٌ مِنْ يَهُوذَا، فَسَأَلْتُهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْيَهُودِ ٱلَّذِينَ نَجَوْا، ٱلَّذِينَ بَقُوا مِنَ ٱلسَّبْيِ، وَعَنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

My brother Hanani came to visit me. He and some other men had just returned from Judah. I queried them about the Jews who were living there, whose [parents] had been (exiled/taken forcefully) [to Babylonia many years previously]. I also asked them about [what was happening in] Jerusalem.

٣ 3 فَقَالُوا لِي: «إِنَّ ٱلْبَاقِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ بَقُوا مِنَ ٱلسَّبْيِ هُنَاكَ فِي ٱلْبِلَادِ، هُمْ فِي شَرٍّ عَظِيمٍ وَعَارٍ. وَسُورُ أُورُشَلِيمَ مُنْهَدِمٌ، وَأَبْوَابُهَا مَحْرُوقَةٌ بِٱلنَّارِ».

They said to me, “The Jews in Jerusalem who returned there from Babylonia are living in a very difficult situation. The walls of the city have been broken down, and even the city gates have been burned down.”

٤ 4 فَلَمَّا سَمِعْتُ هَذَا ٱلْكَلَامَ جَلَسْتُ وَبَكَيْتُ وَنُحْتُ أَيَّامًا، وَصُمْتُ وَصَلَّيْتُ أَمَامَ إِلَهِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ،

When I heard that, I sat down and cried. For several days I mourned, and I (fasted/abstained from eating food), and I prayed to our God, [who is/rules] in heaven.

٥ 5 وَقُلْتُ: «أَيُّهَا ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ ٱلسَّمَاءِ، ٱلْإِلَهُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٱلْمَخُوفُ، ٱلْحَافِظُ ٱلْعَهْدَ وَٱلرَّحْمَةَ لِمُحِبِّيهِ وَحَافِظِي وَصَايَاهُ،

I said, “Yahweh, [you who are/rule] in heaven, you are a wonderful and awesome God. You keep your promise to faithfully love those who love you and who obey your commands.

٦ 6 لِتَكُنْ أُذْنُكَ مُصْغِيَةً وَعَيْنَاكَ مَفْتُوحَتَيْنِ لِتَسْمَعَ صَلَاةَ عَبْدِكَ ٱلَّذِي يُصَلِّي إِلَيْكَ ٱلْآنَ نَهَارًا وَلَيْلًا لِأَجْلِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَبِيدِكَ، وَيَعْتَرِفُ بِخَطَايَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلَّتِي أَخْطَأْنَا بِهَا إِلَيْكَ. فَإِنِّي أَنَا وَبَيْتُ أَبِي قَدْ أَخْطَأْنَا.

Now please look down and listen to what I am praying. I pray during the day and at night for your Israeli people. I confess that we Israeli people have sinned. Even my family and I have sinned against you.

٧ 7 لَقَدْ أَفْسَدْنَا أَمَامَكَ، وَلَمْ نَحْفَظِ ٱلْوَصَايَا وَٱلْفَرَائِضَ وَٱلْأَحْكَامَ ٱلَّتِي أَمَرْتَ بِهَا مُوسَى عَبْدَكَ.

We have acted very wickedly. [Many years ago] your servant Moses gave us your laws and all the things you commanded us to do [DOU], but we have not obeyed/done them.

٨ 8 ٱذْكُرِ ٱلْكَلَامَ ٱلَّذِي أَمَرْتَ بِهِ مُوسَى عَبْدَكَ قَائِلًا: إِنْ خُنْتُمْ فَإِنِّي أُفَرِّقُكُمْ فِي ٱلشُّعُوبِ،

“But please remember what you told your servant Moses. You said, ‘If you sin, I will scatter you among the ([heathen nations/nations that do not believe in me]).

٩ 9 وَإِنْ رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيَّ وَحَفِظْتُمْ وَصَايَايَ وَعَمِلْتُمُوهَا، إِنْ كَانَ ٱلْمَنْفِيُّونَ مِنْكُمْ فِي أَقْصَاءِ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ، فَمِنْ هُنَاكَ أَجْمَعُهُمْ وَآتِي بِهِمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَكَانِ ٱلَّذِي ٱخْتَرْتُ لِإِسْكَانِ ٱسْمِي فِيهِ.

But if you return to me and obey my commands, even if you have been exiled to very remote/distant places on the earth, I will bring you back here [to Israel], the land that I [MTY] have chosen to be honored in.’

١٠ 10 فَهُمْ عَبِيدُكَ وَشَعْبُكَ ٱلَّذِي ٱفْتَدَيْتَ بِقُوَّتِكَ ٱلْعَظِيمَةِ وَيَدِكَ ٱلشَّدِيدَةِ.

“We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]

١١ 11 يَا سَيِّدُ، لِتَكُنْ أُذْنُكَ مُصْغِيَةً إِلَى صَلَاةِ عَبْدِكَ وَصَلَاةِ عَبِيدِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ مَخَافَةَ ٱسْمِكَ. وَأَعْطِ ٱلنَّجَاحَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لِعَبْدِكَ وَٱمْنَحْهُ رَحْمَةً أَمَامَ هَذَا ٱلرَّجُلِ». لِأَنِّي كُنْتُ سَاقِيًا لِلْمَلِكِ.

Yahweh, please hear this prayer of mine, and the prayers of all your people who are delighted to revere you [MTY]. Today I will go to the king, to request that he do me a great favor. Please motivate him to act kindly toward me, in order that I will be successful [in obtaining what I want].” At that time, I was the one whose work was to taste all the food and drink before it was served to the king, [to be sure that no one had put poison in it].