1
Ikawa katika mwezi wa Nisani, mwaka wa ishirini wa mfalme Artashasta, na divai imewekwa mbele yake, nikaishika ile divai, nikampa mfalme. Nami mpaka sasa sikuwa na huzuni mbele ya mfalme wakati wo wote.
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
2
Basi mfalme akaniambia, Mbona umesikitika uso wako, nawe huna ugonjwa? Nini hii, isipokuwa ni huzuni ya moyo? Ndipo nikaogopa sana.
so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3
Nikamwambia mfalme, Mfalme na aishi milele; kwani uso wangu usiwe na huzuni, iwapo mji, ulio mahali pa makaburi ya baba zangu, unakaa ukiwa, na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto?
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4
Ndipo mfalme akaniambia, Una haja gani unayotaka kuniomba? Basi nikamwomba Mungu wa mbinguni.
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
5
Nikamwambia mfalme, Mfalme akiona vema, na ikiwa mimi, mtumishi wako, nimepata kibali machoni pako, tafadhali unipeleke mpaka Yuda, niuendee mji wa makaburi ya baba zangu, nipate kuujenga.
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6
Mfalme akaniuliza, (malkia naye ameketi karibu naye), Safari yako itakuwa ya siku ngapi? Nawe utarudi lini? Hivyo mfalme akaona vema kunipeleka; nami nikampa muda.
Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.
7
Tena nikamwambia mfalme, Mfalme akiona vema, na nipewe nyaraka kwa maliwali walio ng'ambo ya Mto, ili waniache kupita mpaka nifike Yuda;
I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8
nipewe na waraka kwa Asafu, mwenye kuutunza mwitu wa mfalme, ili anipe miti ya kufanyizia boriti kwa malango ya ngome ya nyumba, na kwa ukuta wa mji; na kwa nyumba ile nitakayoingia mimi. Naye mfalme akanipa, kama mkono mwema wa Mungu wangu ulivyokuwa juu yangu.
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9
Ndipo nikafika kwa maliwali walio ng'ambo ya Mto, nikawapa hizo nyaraka za mfalme. Naye mfalme alikuwa amepeleka maakida wa jeshi lake na wapanda farasi pamoja nami.
Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10
Hata Sanbalati, Mhoroni, na Tobia, mtumishi wake, Mwamoni, waliposikia habari hizi, ziliwahuzunisha sana, kwa kuwa amekuja mtu kuwatakia heri wana wa Israeli.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
11
Basi nikafika Yerusalemu, nikakaa huko muda wa siku tatu.
After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12
Kisha nikaondoka usiku, mimi na watu wachache pamoja nami; wala sikumwambia mtu neno hili alilolitia Mungu wangu moyoni mwangu, nilitende kwa ajili ya Yerusalemu; wala hapakuwa na mnyama pamoja nami, ila mnyama yule niliyempanda mwenyewe.
I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
13
Nikatoka nje usiku, kwa njia ya lango la bondeni, nikashika njia iendayo kisima cha joka, na lango la jaa; nikazitazama kuta za Yerusalemu, zilizokuwa zimebomoka; na malango yake yameteketezwa kwa moto.
So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14
Kisha nikaendelea mpaka lango la chemchemi, na ziwa la mfalme; lakini hapakuwa na nafasi ya kupita kwa yule mnyama aliyekuwa chini yangu.
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
15
Kisha nikapanda usiku kando ya kijito, nikautazama ukuta; kisha nikarudi nyuma, nikaingia kwa lango la bondeni, nikarejea hivyo.
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16
Wala mashehe hawakujua nilikokwenda, wala nilivyotenda; wala sijawaambia Wayahudi, wala makuhani, wala wakuu, wala mashehe, wala watu wengine waliokuwa wakiifanya kazi hiyo.
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.
17
Kisha nikawaambia, Mnaona hali hii dhaifu tuliyo nayo, jinsi Yerusalemu ulivyo hali ya ukiwa, na malango yake yalivyoteketezwa kwa moto; haya! Na tuujenge tena ukuta wa Yerusalemu, ili tusiwe shutumu tena.
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18
Nikawaeleza habari ya mkono wa Mungu wangu ulivyokuwa mwema juu yangu; pia na maneno ya mfalme aliyoniambia. Nao wakasema, Haya! Na tuondoke tukajenge. Basi wakaitia mikono yao nguvu kwa kazi hiyo njema.
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
19
Lakini waliposikia Sanbalati, Mhoroni, na Tobia, mtumishi wake, Mwamoni, na Geshemu, Mwarabu, walitucheka, wakatudharau, wakasema, Ni nini neno hili mnalofanya? Je! Mtaasi ninyi juu ya mfalme?
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20
Ndipo nikawajibu, nikawaambia, Mungu wa mbinguni, yeye atatufanikisha; kwa hiyo sisi, watumishi wake, tutaondoka na kujenga; lakini ninyi hamna sehemu, wala haki, wala kumbukumbu, katika Yerusalemu. </p>
So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”