Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,

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 Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who 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 They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned 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 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before 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 said, “I beg you, LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his 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 your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, 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 dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your 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, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;

‌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 your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause 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 “Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

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

11 Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.

‌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.