Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nehemias the son of Helchias. And it came to pass in the month of Casleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in the castle of Susa,

Ko e ngaahi lea ʻa Nehemaia ko e foha ʻo Hakalia. Pea ʻi he māhina ko Kisilu, ʻi hono uofulu ʻoe taʻu, ʻi heʻeku ʻi Susani ko e fale ʻoe tuʻi, naʻe hoko ʻo pehē,

2 That Hanani one of my brethren came, he and some men of Juda; and I asked them concerning the Jews, that remained and were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

Naʻe haʻu ʻa Hanani, ko hoku kāinga ʻe taha, ʻaia mo e kau tangata ʻo Siuta; pea naʻaku fehuʻi kiate kinautolu ki he kau Siu naʻe hoko ʻo hao, ʻaia naʻe toe ʻi he fakapōpula, pea ki Selūsalema.

3 And they said to me: They that have remained, and are left of the captivity there in the province, are in great affliction, and reproach: and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.

Pea naʻa nau pehē kiate au, Ko kinautolu naʻe tuku ʻi he fonua ʻo ʻikai fakapōpulaʻi ʻoku tuʻutāmaki lahi pea ongokovi lahi: pea kuo holoki hifo foki ʻae ʻā maka ʻo Selūsalema, pea kuo tutu hono ngaahi matapā ʻaki ʻae afi.

4 And when I had heard these words, I sat down, and wept, and mourned for many days: and I fasted, and prayed before the face of the God of heaven.

Pea ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he ngaahi lea ni, naʻaku nofo hifo ʻo tangi, pea fai fakamamahi ʻi he ʻaho niʻihi, pea u ʻaukai, mo lotu ki he ʻOtua ʻoe langi,

5 And I said: I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, strong, great, and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those that love thee, and keep thy commandments:

‌ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻoe langi, ko e ʻOtua lahi mo fakamanavahē, ʻoku ke tauhi ʻae fuakava mo e angaʻofa maʻanautolu ʻoku ʻofa kiate ia pea tokanga ʻo fai ki heʻene ngaahi fekau;

6 Let thy ears be attentive, and thy eyes open, to hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, night and day, for the children of Israel thy servants: and I confess the sins of the children of Israel, by which they have sinned against thee: I and my father’s house have sinned.

Ko eni ke tokanga ʻa ho telinga, pea ʻa ho fofonga, koeʻuhi ke ke fanongo ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, ʻaia ʻoku ou lotu ai ʻi he ʻao ni, ʻi he ʻaho mo e pō, koeʻuhi ko e fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻaia kuo mau fai ʻo angatuʻu kiate koe; ko au mo e fale ʻo ʻeku tamai kuo mau fai angahala.

7 We have been seduced by vanity, and have not kept thy commandments, and ceremonies and judgments, which thou hast commanded thy servant Moses.

Kuo mau fai kovi lahi kiate koe, pea naʻe ʻikai te mau tauhi ʻa hoʻo ngaahi fekau, pe ko hoʻo ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo hoʻo ngaahi fakamaau, ʻaia naʻa ke fekau ʻi hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko Mōsese.

8 Remember the word that thou commandedst to Moses thy servant, saying: If you shall transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:

‌ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke manatu ki he folofola naʻa ke fekau ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ko Mōsese, ʻo pehē, ‘Kapau ʻoku mou fai hala, te u fakamovetevete ʻakimoutolu ki he ngaahi puleʻanga:

9 But if you return to me, and keep my commandments, and do them, though you should be led away to the uttermost parts of the world, I will gather you from thence, and bring you back to the place which I have chosen for my name to dwell there.

Pea kapau te mou tafoki kiate au, pea tauhi ʻeku ngaahi fekau, pea fai ki ai; ka ne ai homou niʻihi naʻe kapusi kituaʻā ki he ngataʻanga mamaʻo ʻoe langi, ka te u tānaki ʻakinautolu mei ai, pea te u ʻomi ʻakinautolu ki he potu ʻaia kuo u fili ke tuku ʻi ai hoku hingoa.’

10 And these are thy servants, and thy people: whom thou hast redeemed by thy great strength, and by thy mighty hand.

Pea ko hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki eni, mo ho kakai, ʻaia naʻa ke huhuʻi ʻi ho mālohi lahi, pea ʻi ho nima mālohi.

11 I beseech thee, O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name: and direct thy servant this day, and give him mercy before this man. For I was the king’s cupbearer.

‌ʻE Sihova, ʻoku ou kole ni kiate koe, ke tokanga ʻe ho fofonga ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki, pea ki he lotu ʻa hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻaia ʻoku holi ke manavahē ki ho huafa: ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke tāpuaki ʻa hoʻo tamaioʻeiki he ʻaho ni, pea ke tuku ke maʻu ʻe ia ʻae angaʻofa ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tangata ni.” He ko e fua ipu au ʻoe tuʻi.