Nehemiah 2
1 After King Artaxerxes [had been ruling the Persian Empire] for almost 20 years, (during the spring/before the hot season) of that year, when it was time to serve wine to him [during a feast], I took the wine and gave it to him. I had never looked sad when I was in front of him before, [but on that day he saw that I looked very sad].
Gbe ɖeka, le ɣleti enelia me le Fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me, esi menɔ wain kum na fia la la, fia la biam be,
2 So he asked me, “Why are you sad? [I know that] you are not sick. It must be that you are troubled about something.” Then I was very afraid, [because it was not proper to be sad when I came to the king] (OR, [because I was worried what the king would do to me if he refused to do what I was about to request him to do]).
“Nu ka ta nèlé blanui ale, evɔ mèhele dɔ lém o? Esia menye naneke wu dzi ƒe nuxaxa o.”
3 I replied, “Your majesty, I hope you will live a very long time! But (how can I prevent myself from being sad, because the city where my ancestors are buried [has been destroyed] and is in ruins?/I cannot keep myself from looking sad, because the city where my ancestors are buried [has been destroyed and] is in ruins.) [RHQ] [Even] the city gates have been completely burned.”
Megblɔ na fia la be, “Fia nenɔ agbe tegbee.”
4 The king replied, “What do you want me to do [for you]?” I prayed [silently] to our God [who is/rules] in heaven.
Fia la biam be, “Ekema nu ka woawɔ na wò?” Medo gbe ɖa na dziƒo ƒe Mawu la,
5 Then I replied, “If you are willing [to do it], and if I have pleased you, send me to the city [of Jerusalem] in Judah [province] where my ancestors are buried, in order that I may [help people to] rebuild the city.”
eye megblɔ na fia la be, “Ne edze fia la ŋu, eye nève wò dɔla nu la, ekema dɔm ɖe Yuda ƒe du me, afi si woɖi fofonyewo ɖo ne magbugbɔ du la atu.”
6 While the queen was sitting beside the king, he asked, [“If I allow you to go, ] how long will you be gone? When will you return?” [I told the king how long I would be gone, and] the king gave me permission to go, and I told him what day [I wanted to leave].
Emegbe fia la, ame si ƒe axadzi fiasrɔ̃ la nɔ anyi ɖo la biam be, “Ŋkeke nenie nèle mɔ zɔ ge, eye gbe ka gbee nàtrɔ agbɔ?” Edze fia la ŋu be wòadɔm, eya ta meɖo ŋkeke nɛ.
7 I also said to the king, “If you are willing to do it, write letters for me to take to the governors of the province west of the [Euphrates] River. Tell them to allow me to travel safely [through their province] until I arrive in Judah.
Megabia nu bubu hã fia la be, “Ne edze ŋuwò la, ekema meɖe kuku be nàŋlɔ agbalẽ ade asinye na mɔmefia siwo le Frat tɔsisi la ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe, eye nàbia tso wo si be woaɖe mɔ nam mato woƒe dukɔwo me ayi Yudanyigba dzi dedie.
8 Also, [please write] a letter to Asaph, the man who takes care of your forest [in that area], telling him to give me timber to make the beams to support the gates of the fortress that is near the temple, and timber for making the walls of the city, and for building the house in which I [will live].” The king did what I requested him to do, because my God was graciously/kindly (helping/acting for) me.
Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, nàŋlɔ agbalẽ na Asaf, ame si kpɔa fia la ƒe ave dzi, eye nàna wòana atim hena daɖedziwo kple agbowo na mɔ si le gbedoxɔ la gbɔ, hena dua ƒe gliwo kple xɔ aɖe tutu na ɖokuinye.” Esi wònye be, nye Mawu ƒe amenuveve ƒe asi nɔ dzinye ta la, fia la lɔ̃ ɖe nye biabiawo dzi.
9 [After I got ready, I left to travel to Judah]. The king sent some army officers and soldiers riding on horses to accompany me, [to protect me]. When I came to where the governors of the provinces west of the [Euphrates] River lived, I gave them the letters that the king had written.
Esi meɖo dukɔ siwo nɔ Frat Tɔsisi la ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe la, metsɔ fia la ƒe agbalẽwo na mɔmefiawo. Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, etsɔ aʋafia kple asrafo sɔdolawo kpe ɖe ŋunye.
10 But when [two government officials, ] Sanballat from [a village near] Horon and Tobiah from the Ammon [people-group], heard that I had arrived, they were very angry that someone had come to help the Israeli people.
Ke esi Sanbalat, Horonitɔ kple Tobia, Amonitɔ, ame siwo nye dɔnunɔlawo se nya sia la, dzi ku wo vevie ŋutɔ be ame aɖe va nyui di ge na Israelviwo.
11 When I arrived in Jerusalem, I did not tell anyone what thoughts God had given to me about what I should do there. Three days after I arrived in Jerusalem, I went out of the city in the evening, taking a few other men with me. I was riding a donkey; we had no other animals with us.
Meyi Yerusalem, eye esi menɔ dua me ŋkeke etɔ̃ la,
mía kple ŋutsu ʋɛ aɖewo míedo go le zã me. Nyemegblɔ nu si nye Mawu tsɔ de nye dzi me be mawɔ na Yerusalem na ame aɖeke o. Lã siwo wodona la ɖeke menɔ gbɔnye o, negbe esi dom menɔ ko.
13 We left the city, going out through the Valley Gate, then past the well called the Jackal (OR, Dragon’s) Well, and then past the gate called the Rubbish/Garbage Gate. We inspected all the walls that had been broken down and all the gates that had been burned down.
Le zã me la, míedo go to Balimegbo la me ɖo ta Yakal ƒe Vudo la gbɔ, heyi Aɖukpogbo la gbɔ be míakpɔ gli gbagbãwo kple agbo siwo wotɔ dzoe la ɖa.
14 Then we went to the Fountain Gate and to the pool called the King’s Pool, but my donkey could not get through [the narrow opening] (OR, [the rubble]).
Emegbe la, míeyi ŋgɔ heva Vudogbo la kple fia ƒe ta la gbɔ, gake teƒea mekeke na lã si dom menɔ la be wòato ayi ŋgɔ o,
15 So we turned back and went along the [Kidron] Valley. We inspected the wall there before we turned back/around and entered the city again at the Valley Gate.
eya ta meto balime la le zã me henɔ ŋku lém ɖe gli la ŋu. Mlɔeba la, metrɔ gava to Balimegbo la me heva aƒe me.
16 The [city] officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because I had not told anyone about what I planned to do. I had not said anything about it to the Jewish leaders or the officials or the priests or any of the others who would be helping me in the work [that I wanted to do].
Dua ŋu dzɔlawo menya be medo go de afi siawo o, eye womenya nu si ta mede o, elabena nyemegblɔ nya aɖeke na Yudatɔwo, nunɔlawo, bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo tso nye ɖoɖowo ŋu haɖe kura o. Nyemegblɔe na ame siwo le dɔa wɔ ge gɔ̃ hã o.
17 But now I said to them, “You all know very well the terrible things [that have happened to] our city. The city is ruined; even the gates are burned down. So we should rebuild the city wall. If we do that, we will no longer feel humiliated/disgraced.”
Megblɔ na wo azɔ be, “Mienya dzɔgbevɔ̃e si dzɔ ɖe Yerusalem dzi nyuie. Dua gbã, eye agboawo fia. Miva, mina míagbugbɔ Yerusalem ƒe gli aɖo, eye míaɖe ŋukpe sia ɖa le mía dzi!”
18 Then I told them about how God had kindly/graciously helped me [when I talked to the king], and what the king had said to me. They immediately replied, “Let’s start rebuilding!” So they started to do this good work.
Megblɔ ale si Mawu ƒe amenuveve ƒe asi le dzinyee kple ale si fia la gblɔ nam hã na wo. Woɖo eŋuti enumake be, “Enyo! Mina míagbugbɔ gli la aɖo!” Ale míedze dɔ nyui sia gɔme.
19 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gershom the Arab [king of the Kedar region] heard about what we planned to do, they made fun of us and ridiculed us. They said, “What is this work that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king [again]?” [RHQ]
Ke esi Sanbalat Horonitɔ kple Tobia Amonitɔ kple Gesem Arabiatɔ la, se nye ɖoɖoawo la, woɖu fewu le mía ŋu hegblɔ be, “Nu kae nye esi wɔm miele hele aglã dzem ɖe fia la ŋu ale?”
20 But I replied, “Our God [who is/rules] in heaven will help our plans to succeed. But as for you, you have no right to decide anything about this city, because you have not participated in what has happened in this city in previous years.”
Ke meɖo eŋu be, “Dziƒo ƒe Mawu la ana dzidzedze mí eƒe dɔlawo míagbugbɔ gli sia aɖo, ke miawo la, miaƒe asi manɔ dɔ sia me loo alo miakpɔ gome le Yerusalem alo axɔ ŋkɔ le ewɔwɔ me alo eƒe ɖe nanye mia tɔ o.”
