Nehemia 2
1 Katika mwezi wa Nisani, katika mwaka wa ishirini wa mfalme Artashasta, alichagua divai, na nikachukua divai na kumpa mfalme. Sasa sikuwahi kusikitikaa mbele yake.
It happened in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artachshasta the king, when wine was before me, that I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.
2 Lakini mfalme akaniambia, “Kwa nini uso wako una huzuni? Hauonekani kuwa mgonjwa. Hii lazima iwe huzuni ya moyo.” Kisha nikaogopa sana.
The king said to me, "Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart." Then I was very much afraid.
3 Nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme aishi milele! Kwa nini uso wangu usiwe na huzuni? ikiwa mji, mahali pa makaburi ya baba yangu, uko katika magofu, na malango yake yameharibiwa kwa moto.”
I said to the king, "Let the king live forever. Why shouldn't my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?"
4 Ndipo mfalme akaniambia, “Unataka nini nifanye?” Kwa hiyo nikamwomba Mungu wa mbinguni.
Then the king said to me, "For what do you make request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 Nikamwambia mfalme, “Mfalme akiona vema, na ikiwa mtumishi wako amefanya vizuri machoni pako, unaweza kunituma Yuda, mji wa kaburi za baba zangu, ili nipate kuujenga tena.”
I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it."
6 Mfalme akanijibu (na malkia pia alikuwa amekaa karibu naye), “Utakaa kawa muda gani mpaka urudi?” Mfalme akaona vema kunipeleka nami nikampka muda.
The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), "For how long shall your journey be? And when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7 Ndipo nikamwambia mfalme, “Ikiwa itampendeza mfalme, nipe barua kwa ajili ya wakuu ng'ambo ya Mto, ili wapate kuniruhusu nipite katika maeneo yao njiani kwenda Yuda.
Moreover I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah;
8 Pia iwepo barua kwa Asafu, mlinzi wa msitu wa mfalme, ili anipe miti ya kufanya mihimili ya malango ya ngome karibu na hekalu, na kwa ukuta wa mji, na kwa nyumba ambayo Nitaishi.” Kwa hiyo kwa sababu mkono mzuri wa Mungu ulikuwa juu yangu, mfalme alinipa hitaji langu.
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into." The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
9 Nilifika kwa wakuu ng'ambo ya Mto, na kuwapa barua za mfalme. Basi mfalme alikuwa amepeleka maofisa wa jeshi na wapanda farasi pamoja nami.
Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 Sanbalati Mhoroni na Tobbia mtumishi wa Amoni waliposikia jambo hili, walipendezwa sana kwa kuwa mtu alikuja ambaye alikuwa akijaribu kuwasaidia watu wa Israeli.
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 Basi, nikarudi Yerusalemu, na nilikuwa huko siku tatu.
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 Niliamka usiku, mimi na watu wachache pamoja nami. Sikumwambia mtu yeyote kile Mungu wangu alichoweka ndani ya moyo wangu kufanya Yerusalemu. Hakukuwa na mnyama pamoja nami, isipokuwa yule niliyekuwa nimempanda.
I arose in the night, I and some few men with me. And I told no one what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any animal with me, except the animal that I rode on.
13 Niliondoka usiku kwa njia ya lango la bondeni, kuelekea kisima cha joka na kwenye mlango wa jaa, na kukagua kuta za Yerusalemu, ambazo zimebomolewa, na milango ya mbao iliharibiwa na moto.
I went out by night by the Valley Gate, even toward the Serpent's Well, and to the Dung Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
14 Kisha nikaenda kwenye lango na Chemchemi ya Mfalme. Nafasi ilikuwa nyembamba sana kwa mnyama niliyekuwa nimempanda kupita.
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
15 Kwa hiyo nilikwenda usiku huo kando ya bonde na kuchunguza ukuta, nikarudi nyuma na kuingia kwa lango la bondeni, na hivyo nikarudi.
Then went I up in the night by the wadi, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 Watawala hawakujua nilipokwenda au kile nilichofanya, na sikuwaambia Wayahudi, wala makuhani, wala wakuu, wala watawala, wala wengine waliofanya kazi hiyo.
The rulers did not know where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
17 Nikawaambia, “Unaona shida tuliyo nayo, jinsi Yerusalemu iko katika magofu na milango yake imeharibiwa kwa moto. Njoni, tujenge upya ukuta wa Yerusalemu, ili tusiwe na aibu tena.”
Then I said to them, "You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won't be disgraced."
18 Niliwaambia kuwa mkono mzuri wa Mungu wangu ulikuwa juu yangu na pia kuhusu maneno ya mfalme ambayo aliniambia. Wakasema, “Hebu tuondoke na kujenga.” Kwa hiyo wakaimarisha mikono yao kwa ajili ya kazi nzuri.
I told them of the hand of my God which was good on me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, "Let's rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19 Lakini Sanbalati Mhoroni, na Tobia mtumishi wake Mwamoni, na Geshemu, Mwarabu, waliposikia habari hiyo, wakatucheka na kututukana; wakasema, “Unafanya nini? Je, unamgombana na mfalme?”
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us, and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?"
20 Ndipo nikawajibu, “Mungu wa mbinguni atatupa ufanisi. Sisi ni watumishi wake na tutaondoka na kujenga. Lakini huna sehemu, hakuna haki, na hakuna dai la kihistoria huko Yerusalemu.”
Then answered I them, and said to them, "The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem."
