Nehemiah 1
1 [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].
Esiae nye Nehemia, Hakalia ƒe vi ƒe nyawo. Le ɣleti wuievelia me, le Persia fia, Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me, esime menɔ Susa fiasã la me la,
2 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.
nɔvinye Yudatɔ aɖe si woyɔna be, Hanani kple ame aɖewo tso Yuda va be yewoakpɔm ɖa. Mebia nya tso ale si nuwo nɔ le Yerusalem la ŋu. Mebia be, “Aleke nuwo le na Yudatɔ siwo gbɔ tso aboyo me va Yerusalem?”
3 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.”
Woɖo eŋu be, “Nuwo menyo kura o, ame siwo gbɔ tso aboyome la, le xaxa kple ŋukpe gã aɖe me; womu Yerusalem ƒe gliwo ƒu anyi eye wotɔ dzo agboawo.”
4 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.
Esi mese nya siawo la, menɔ anyi, eye mefa avi. Le nyateƒe me la, metsi nu dɔ ŋkeke geɖewo, eye mewɔ ɣeyiɣi ma ŋu dɔ hedo gbe ɖa na dziƒo ƒe Mawu la be,
5 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.
“O! Aƒetɔ Yehowa, Mawu gã si ŋu ŋɔdzi le, Mawu si wɔa eƒe ŋugbedodowo dzi, eye wòvea ame siwo lɔ̃nɛ, eye wowɔa eƒe sewo dzi la nu, se nye gbedodoɖa.
6 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.
Wò to nenɔ te, eye wò ŋkuwo nenɔ ʋuʋu be nàse gbe si dom wò dɔla le ɖa zã kple keli le ŋkuwòme, ɖe wò dɔlawo, Israel dukɔ ta. Meʋu nu vɔ̃ siwo mí Israelviwo, nye ŋutɔ kple fofonye ƒe aƒe míewɔ ɖe ŋuwò la me.
7 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.
Míewɔ nu tovowo ɖe ŋutiwò, míewɔ wò sededewo, ɖoɖowo kple se siwo wò dɔla Mose de na mí la dzi o.
8 “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]).
“Meɖe kuku, ɖo ŋku nya si nègblɔ na wò dɔla, Mose la dzi! Wòe gblɔ be: ‘Ne miewɔ nu vɔ̃ la, makaka mi ɖe dukɔwo dome,
9 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.’
ke ne mietrɔ va gbɔnye, eye miewɔ nye seawo dzi la togbɔ be woɖe aboyo mi yi xexea me ƒe dzogoe didiƒetɔwo mee hã la, makplɔ mi tso teƒe mawo, eye makplɔ mi va teƒe si metia be wòanye nye ŋkɔ ƒe nɔƒe.’
10 “We are your servants. We are the people whom you brought here by your very great power [MTY, DOU]
“Wò dɔlawoe míenye, dukɔ si nètsɔ wò ŋusẽ gã kple wò alɔ sesẽ la ɖee lae míenye.
11 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].
O! Aƒetɔ, meɖe kuku, se nye gbedodoɖa! Ɖo to mí, ame siwo kpɔa dzidzɔ be míade bubu ŋuwò la ƒe gbedodoɖa. Meɖe kuku, kpe ɖe ŋunye fifi laa esi mele fia la gbɔ yim be mabiae be wòana kpekpeɖeŋu tɔxɛm. Dee eƒe dzi me be wòave nunye.” Fia la ƒe ahakulae menye.
