Nekkemiya 2
1 Awo mu mwezi gwa Nisani mu mwaka ogw’amakumi abiri ku mulembe gwa Kabaka Alutagizerugizi, nga bamuleetedde wayini, ne nzirira wayini ne muwa kabaka. Nnali sinakuwalirangako mu maaso ge.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
2 Kabaka n’ambuuza nti, “Kiki ekikunakuwazizza otyo ng’omulwadde? Kino si kigambo kirala wabula obuyinike obw’omu mutima.” Ne ntya nnyo,
so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
3 naye ne ŋŋamba kabaka nti, “Kabaka abeere omulamu emirembe gyonna. Lwaki sinakuwala ng’ekibuga bajjajjange gye baaziikibwa kizise, nga ne wankaaki waakyo yayokebwa omuliro?”
but I replied to the king, “Long live the king live! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
4 Kabaka n’ambuuza nti, “Kiki ky’oyagala?” Awo ne nsaba eri Katonda w’eggulu,
“So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
5 n’oluvannyuma ne nziramu kabaka nti, “Kabaka bw’anasiima, era omuddu wo bw’anaalaba ekisa mu maaso go, ansindike ŋŋende mu Yuda, mu kibuga bajjajjange gye baaziikibwa, nkiddaabirize.”
“If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
6 Awo kabaka, ne mukyala we ng’amuli ku lusegere, n’ambuuza nti, “Olugendo lwo luliba lwa nnaku meka, era olidda ddi?” Kabaka n’asiima okuntuma, ne neegerera ekiseera.
The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
7 Ne nsaba kabaka nti, “Kabaka bw’anaasiima, awandiikire abaamasaza abali emitala w’omugga Fulaati ebbaluwa, ntambule mirembe okutuuka mu Yuda.
I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
8 Ate era nsaba ebbaluwa gye nnaatwalira Asafu omukuumi w’ekibira kya kabaka, ampe emiti gye ndikolamu embaawo ez’okubajjamu enzigi za yeekaalu, n’eza wankaaki wa bbugwe w’ekibuga, n’ekifo we nnaabeeranga.” Olw’omukono gwa Katonda wange ogwali nange, kabaka n’ampa bye namusaba.
May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
9 Awo ne ndaga eri abaamasaza abaali emitala w’omugga Fulaati ne mbakwasa ebbaluwa eziva ewa kabaka. Kabaka yampa abakungu b’eggye n’abeebagala embalaasi okumperekerako.
Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
10 Naye Sanubalaati Omukoloni ne Tobiya omukungu Omwamoni bwe baakiwulira, ne banyiiga nnyo bwe baamanya nga waliwo omuntu afuddeyo ku mbeera y’abaana ba Isirayiri.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
11 Ne ntuuka e Yerusaalemi, ne mbeerayo ennaku ssatu,
I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
12 ne ngolokoka mu kiro ne ntambulatambula n’abamu ku basajja, naye ne sibuulira muntu n’omu ku ebyo Katonda wange bye yali atadde ku mutima gwange okukolera Yerusaalemi. Twagenda n’ensolo emu yokka gye nnali neebagadde.
Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
13 Ekiro ekyo ne mpita mu Mulyango ogw’omu Kiwonvu ne njolekera Oluzzi olw’Omusege, n’Omulyango ogw’Obusa, ne ŋŋenda nga neetegereza bbugwe wa Yerusaalemi eyali amenyeddwa, ne wankaaki waakyo eyayokebwa omuliro.
So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
14 N’oluvannyuma ne neyongerayo eri Omulyango ogw’Oluzzi n’eri Ekidiba kya Kabaka, naye ensolo yange n’eteyinza kuyitawo.
Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
15 Kyennava nserengeta mu kiwonvu ekiro nga ŋŋenda neetegereza bbugwe. Bwe namaliriza ne nkyuka ne nkomawo nga mpitira mu Mulyango ogw’omu Kiwonvu.
So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
16 Abakungu tebaamanya gye nnali ndaze newaakubadde kye nnali nkola; era nnali sinnabuulirako Bayudaaya newaakubadde bakabona, newaakubadde abakungu newaakubadde abakulu, n’abalala abaali bateekwa okukola omulimu.
Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
17 Awo ne mbagamba nti, “Mulaba akabi ke tulimu; Yerusaalemi kizise, ne wankaaki waakyo ayokeddwa omuliro. Mujje tuddaabirize bbugwe wa Yerusaalemi tuve mu buswavu bwe tulimu.”
Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
18 Ne mbategeeza omukono gwa Katonda ogw’ekisa bye gwali gunkoledde, ne kabaka bye yaŋŋamba. Ne baddamu nti, “Tugolokoke tutandike okuzimba.” Era ne batandika omulimu.
Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
19 Naye Sanubalaati Omukoloni, ne Tobiya omukungu Omwamoni ne Gesemu Omuwalabu bwe baakiwulira ne batunyooma n’okutusekerera ne batusekerera. Ne batubuuza nti, “Kiki kye mukola? Mwagala kujeemera kabaka?”
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 Ne mbaddamu nti, “Katonda w’eggulu alituyamba okukituukiriza, era ffe abaddu be tulitandika okuzimba, naye mmwe temulina mugabo newaakubadde obusika newaakubadde ekijjukizo mu Yerusaalemi.”
But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
