1And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
1Zvino nomwedzi weNisani, negore ramakumi maviri ramambo Aritashasita, panguva yaakanga anewaini pamberi pake, ini ndikatora waini, ndikaipa mambo. Zvino ndakanga ndisina kumbopunyaira pamberi pake.
2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
2Ipapo mambo akati kwandiri, Chiso chako chinopunyairireiko, zvausingarwari? Ichi chinhu ishungu dzomoyo chaidzo. Ndikatya kwazvo.
3And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
3Ndikati kuna mambo, Mambo ngaararame nokusingaperi! Chiso changu chingaregereiko kupunyaira, kana guta iro rinamarinda amadzibaba angu, rava dongo, namasuwo aro atsva nomoto?
4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
4Ipapo mambo akati kwandiri, Unokumbireiko? Zvino ndikanyengetera kuna Mwari wokudenga,
5And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
5ndikati kuna mambo, Kana mambo achifara nazvo, kana muranda wenyu awana nyasha pamberipenyu, ndinokumbira kuti munditumire kwaJudha, kuguta ramarinda amadzibaba angu, ndinorivaka.
6And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
6Mambo akati kwandiri (navahosiwo vakanga vagere naye), Rwendo rwako ruchaita nguva yakadiniko? Uchadzoka rinhi? Zvino mambo akatenda kundituma; ndikamutarira nguva.
7Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
7Uye ndakatiwo kuna mambo, Kana mambo achifara nazvo, ndinokumbira kuti ndipiwe tsamba dzakanyorerwa vabati vari mhiri korwizi, vanditendere kupfuura ndisvike kwaJudha;
8And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
8neimwe tsambawo kuna Asafi mutariri wedondo ramambo, andipe miti yokuita nayo matanda amasuwo enhare yapaimba yaMwari nookuisa parusvingo rweguta napaimba yandichapinda. Mambo akandipa izvozvo, nekuti ruoko rwakanaka rwaMwari wangu rwakanga ruri pamusoro pangu.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
9Zvino ndikasvika kuvabati mhiri korwizi, ndikavapa tsamba dzamambo. Zvino mambo akanga atuma vakuru vehondo navatasvi vamabhiza neni.
10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
10Asi Sanibharati muHoroni, naTobhia muranda, muAmoni, vakati vanzwa kuti kwakanga kwasvika munhu kuzotsvaka kuitira vana vaIsiraeri zvakanaka, zvikavaodza moyo kwazvo.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
11Naizvozvo ndakasvika Jerusaremu ndikagarapo mazuva matatu.
12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
12Ndikamuka usiku, ini navamwe vanhu vashoma; asi handina kuudza munhu zvakanga zvaiswa mumoyo mangu naMwari wangu kuti ndiitire Jerusaremu; uye ndakanga ndisine chimwe chipfuwo neni, asi chipfuwo chandakanga ndichitasva.
13And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
13Ndikabuda usiku napasuwo roMupata, ndikaenda nokutsime reShato, nesuwo raMarara, ndikacherekedza masvingo eJerusaremu akanga akoromoka, namasuwo aro akanga atsva nomoto.
14Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
14Ipapo ndikapfuurira kusvika pasuwo reTsime, nokudziva ramambo; asi pakanga pasine nzvimbo pangapfuura napo chipfuwo chandakanga ndakatasva.
15Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
15Ipapo ndakakwira usiku naparukova, ndikacherekedza rusvingo; ndikadzoka, ndikapinda napasuwo roMupata, ndikadzoka saizvozvo.
16And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
16Vabati havana kuziva kwandakanga ndaenda, kana zvandakanga ndandoita; nekuti ndakanga ndisina kuudza vaJudha, kana vapristi, kana vakuru, kana vabati, kana vamwe vabati vebasa.
17Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
17Zvino ndakati kwavari, Munoona nhamo yedu, kuti Jerusaremu rava dongo, namasuwo aro atsva nomoto; hendei tindovakazve rusvingo rweJerusaremu, tirege kugara tichishorwa.
18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
18Ndikavaudza zvokunaka koruoko rwaMwari rwakanga ruri pamusoro pangu; namashoko amambo aakandiudza. Ivo vakati, Ngatisimuke, tivake. Naizvozvo vakasimbisa maoko avo kubata basa rakanaka.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
19Asi Sanibharati muHoroni, naTobhia muranda, muAmoni, naGeshemu, muArabhia, vakati vachinzwa, vakatisweveredza, nokutininipisa, vakati, Chinyiko ichi chamunoita? Munoda kumukira mambo kanhi?
20Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
20Ipapo ndakavapindura, ndikati kwavari, Mwari wokudenga achatifambisa zvakanaka; saka isu varanda vake tichasimuka, nokuvaka; asi imwi hamuno mugove kana simba kana chirangaridzo paJerusaremu.