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.
1 This is the account of what Nehemiah son of Hacaliah accomplished.
Nehemiah's Concern for Jerusalem
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year that Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, I, Nehemiah, was in Susa, the capital city. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived from Judah with another group, and I asked them about Jerusalem and about the other Jews who had returned from exile in Babylonia. 3 They told me that those who had survived and were back in the homeland were in great difficulty and that the foreigners who lived nearby looked down on them. They also told me that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down and that the gates had not been restored since the time they were burned. 4 When I heard all this, I sat down and wept.
For several days I mourned and did not eat. I prayed to God, 5 “Lord God of Heaven! You are great, and we stand in fear of you. You faithfully keep your covenant with those who love you and do what you command. 6 Look at me, Lord, and hear my prayer, as I pray day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess that we, the people of Israel, have sinned. My ancestors and I have sinned. 7 We have acted wickedly against you and have not done what you commanded. We have not kept the laws which you gave us through Moses, your servant. 8 Remember now what you told Moses: ‘If you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the other nations. 9 But then if you turn back to me and do what I have commanded you, I will bring you back to the place where I have chosen to be worshiped, even though you are scattered to the ends of the earth.’
10 “Lord, these are your servants, your own people. You rescued them by your great power and strength. 11 Listen now to my prayer and to the prayers of all your other servants who want to honor you. Give me success today and make the emperor merciful to me.”
In those days I was the emperor's wine steward.