1 Awa matama akalebgwa ndi Nehemiya nkololo wa Hakaliya:
Kwakati mu mwedzi we Khisilevi mu gole le bumakumi mabili Atazezasi ali mambo imi ndikabe ndili mu nzi nkulu Susa, 2 kukazha mmwe we banung'una bangu Hanani ana bamwe balume banodwa ku Juda, ngono ndakababhuzwisisa ngekwe malimbelimbe e Bajuta angadwa akasala mu kutapiwa, ne ngekwe nzi nkulu Jerusalema.
3 Ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Malimbelimbe akasala ku ntuthu mu kutapiwa bamu manikano hwulu kwazo ne kulengudzika kukulu kwazo. Guma le Jerusalema lakawa ne matendele alo akapisiwa nge moto.”
4 Ndakati ndihwa matama iyawa agala pasi alila, ndakabe mu tjililo kwe mazhuba ndizwinyima zojiwa ne kutembezela Ndzimu we kudzimu. 5 Ngono ndakatembezela nditi, “Yahwe Ndzimu we kudzimu, Ndzimu nkulu kakale unotjisa, imwi munoshingikadza tjidumano tjenyu kuna bose banomuda kakale belondolodza milayo yenyu. 6 Bonani ndipano, mu ndihweni mube ne ngoni mu nlanda wenyu, anditembezela siku ne sikati, ndikumbilila balanda benyu bathu be Iziraela, ndileba milandu yakathamwa ne balanda benyu, bathu be Iziraela, imi nebe nsha wangu takamutjinyila. 7 Takamuleyanyila kwazo kakale atizolondolodza ndaulo dzenyu ne milayo yenyu ne sumikiliso dzenyu dza makapa nlanda wenyu Mushe.
8 “Kumbulani matama amakadwa nlanda wenyu Mushe muti, ‘Amusinga galemoyo, ndowomupaladza mukabe pakati kwe zwitjaba. 9 Koga amushandukila ku ndili, mulondolodza milayo yangu kakale muishingikadza, nenguba kuna bamwe be bathu benyu bakatapigwa ku mahwombekombe, ndowobakubunganya iko ikweno abazhisa ku bugalo gwandakashalula kuti ibe igo bugalo gwangu.’
10 “Ibaba balanda benyu kakale bathu benyu, ibo bamakadzutunula nge simba lenyu gulu. 11 Yahwe, ihwani ntembezelo we nlanda wenyu nenge mitembezelo ye balanda benyu ibo banoda kuteta zina lenyu. Bhatshani nlanda wenyu nasi kuti abhudilile, mambo wa bomambo abe ne moyo nnyolo munli anhwilezogwadza.”
Ndakabe ndili mbhati we bhepe le nkumbi la mambo.
Nehemiah's Prayer
1 I am Nehemiah son of Hacaliah, and in this book I tell what I have done.
During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes ruled Persia, I was in his fortress city of Susa, 2 when my brother Hanani came with some men from Judah. So I asked them about the Jews who had escaped from being captives in Babylonia. I also asked them about the city of Jerusalem.
3 They told me, “Those captives who have come back are having all kinds of troubles. They are terribly disgraced, Jerusalem's walls are broken down, and its gates have been burned.”
4 When I heard this, I sat down on the ground and cried. Then for several days, I mourned; I went without eating to show my sorrow, and I prayed:
5 Lord God of heaven, you are great and fearsome. And you faithfully keep your promises to everyone who loves you and obeys your commands. 6 I am your servant, so please have mercy on me and answer the prayer that I make day and night for these people of Israel who serve you. I, my family, and the rest of your people have sinned 7 by choosing to disobey you and the laws and teachings you gave to your servant Moses.
8 Please remember the promise you made to Moses. You told him that if we were unfaithful, you would scatter us among foreign nations. 9 But you also said that no matter how far away we were, we could turn to you and start obeying your laws. Then you would bring us back to the place where you have chosen to be worshiped.
10 Our Lord, I am praying for your servants—those you rescued by your great strength and mighty power. 11 Please answer my prayer and the prayer of your other servants who gladly honor your name. When I serve the king his wine today, make him pleased with me and let him do what I ask.