Nehemia 1

1 Mashoko aNehemia mwanakomana waHakaria: Mumwedzi waKisirevhi mugore ramakumi maviri, pandainge ndiri panhare yeSusa,

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

2 Hanani, mumwe wehama dzangu, akauya achibva kuJudha navamwe varume, ndikavabvunza pamusoro pavaJudha vakasara avo vakapunyuka pakutapwa, uyewo napamusoro peJerusarema.

That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and [certain] men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

3 Vakati kwandiri, “Avo vakapunyuka pakutapwa uye vakadzokera kudunhu vari mudambudziko guru napakunyadziswa. Rusvingo rweJerusarema rwakakoromorwa, uye masuo arwo akapiswa nomoto.”

And they said to me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province [are] in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also [is] broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.

4 Pandakanzwa zvinhu izvi, ndakagara pasi ndikachema. Ndakaita mazuva ndichichema, ndichinyengetera uye ndichitsanya pamberi paMwari wokudenga.

And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

5 Ipapo ndakati: “Haiwa Jehovha, Mwari wokudenga, Mwari mukuru uye anotyisa anochengeta sungano yake yorudo naavo vanomuda uye vanoteerera mirayiro yake,

And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

6 nzeve yenyu ngaiteerere uye meso enyu asvinure kuti munzwe munyengetero womuranda wenyu wandinonyengetera pamberi penyu masikati nousiku nokuda kwavaranda venyu, vanhu veIsraeri.

Let thy ear now be attentive, and thy eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

7 Takaita zvakaipa kwazvo pamberi penyu. Hatina kuteerera zvamakarayira, mitemo yenyu nemirayiro yamakapa Mozisi muranda wenyu.

We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

8 “Rangarirai zvamakarayira muranda wenyu Mozisi, muchiti, ‘Kana musina kutendeka, ndichakuparadzirai pakati pendudzi,

Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, [If] ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

9 asi kana mukadzokera kwandiri uye mukateerera zvandakarayira, ipapo kunyange kana vakatapwa vavanhu venyu vari kumagumo edenga, ndichavaunganidza vabveko ndigovauyisa kunzvimbo yandakasarudza kuti ive ugaro hweZita rangu.’

But [if] ye turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you driven to the uttermost part of the heaven, [yet] will I gather them from thence, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

10 “Varanda venyu nevanhu venyu, vamakadzikinura nesimba renyu guru uye noruoko rwenyu rune simba.

Now these [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

11 Haiwa Jehovha, nzeve yenyu ngainzwe munyengetero womuranda wenyu uyu nomunyengetero wavaranda venyu vanofarira kukudza zita renyu. Itai kuti muranda wenyu abudirire nhasi uye mumupe nyasha pamberi pomurume uyu.” Ndakanga ndiri mudiri wamambo.

O LORD, I beseech thee, let now thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cup-bearer.