¹Zgodbe Nehemija, sinu Hakalijevega. Zgodilo se je v mesecu Kislevu, v dvajsetem letu, ko sem bil na gradu Susanu,

¹Words of Nehemiah son of Hachaliah. And it cometh to pass, in the month of Chisleu, the twentieth year, and I have been in Shushan the palace,

²da pride Hanani, eden bratov mojih, in ž njim nekaj mož z Judovega; in poprašam jih za Jude, ki so se rešili, ki so preostali iz ujetništva, in za Jeruzalem.

²and come in doth Hanani, one of my brethren, he and men of Judah, and I ask them concerning the Jews, the escaped part that have been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem;

³In oni mi reko: Tisti, kar jih je preostalo iz ujetništva, so ondi v deželi v veliki stiski in v zasramovanju; in zidovje Jeruzalema je razvaljeno in vrata njegova sežgana z ognjem.

³and they say to me, `Those left, who have been left of the captivity there in the province, [are] in great evil, and in reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burnt with fire.`

⁴In ko sem zaslišal te besede, sem sedel in jokal in žaloval nekoliko dni, in postil sem se ter molil pred Bogom nebes

⁴And it cometh to pass, at my hearing these words, I have sat down, and I weep and mourn [for] days, and I am fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.

⁵in rekel: Prosim te, o GOSPOD, Bog nebes, Bog mogočni, veliki in grozni, ki hraniš zavezo in milost tistim, ki te ljubijo in izpolnjujejo zapovedi tvoje!

⁵And I say, `I beseech thee, O Jehovah, God of the heavens, God, the great and the fearful, keeping the covenant and kindness for those loving Him, and for those keeping His commands,

⁶Pazijo naj, prosim, ušesa tvoja in oči tvoje naj bodo odprte, da poslušaš hlapca svojega molitev, ki jo molim pred teboj ta čas, po dne in po noči, za sinove Izraelove, hlapce tvoje, ko pripoznavam grehe sinov Izraelovih, ki smo jih zagrešili zoper tebe. Tudi mi, jaz in mojega očeta hiša, smo grešili.

⁶let Thine ear be, I pray Thee, attentive, and Thine eyes open, to hearken unto the prayer of Thy servant, that I am praying before Thee to-day, by day and by night, concerning the sons of Israel Thy servants, and confessing concerning the sins of the sons of Israel, that we have sinned against Thee; yea, I and the house of my father have sinned;

⁷Zelo krivo smo ravnali zoper tebe in nismo držali zapovedi, ne postav, ne sodb, ki si jih zapovedal hlapcu svojemu Mojzesu.

⁷we have acted very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commands, and the statutes, and the judgments, that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant.

⁸Spomni se, prosim, besede, ki si jo velel hlapcu svojemu Mojzesu, govoreč: Ako se izneverite, vas razkropim daleč med ljudstva;

⁸`Remember, I pray Thee, the word that Thou didst command Moses Thy servant, saying, Ye — ye trespass — I scatter you among peoples;

⁹ako se pa izpreobrnete k meni in boste držali zapovedi moje ter jih izpolnjevali, čeprav bi bili razskropljenci vaši ob koncu neba, tudi odondod jih zberem in jih privedem na kraj, ki sem ga izvolil, da umestim tam ime svoje.

⁹and ye have turned back unto Me, and kept My commands, and done them — if your outcast is in the end of the heavens, thence I gather them, and have brought them in unto the place that I have chosen to cause My name to tabernacle there.

¹⁰Saj ti so hlapci tvoji in ljudstvo tvoje, ki si ga odrešil z veliko močjo svojo in z mogočno roko svojo.Ah, Gospod, prosim, pazi naj uho tvoje na hlapca tvojega molitev in na molitev hlapcev tvojih, ki se želé bati imena tvojega, in dodeli danes uspeh hlapcu svojemu ter mu daj usmiljenje v očeh tega moža. – Bil sem namreč kraljev točaj.

¹⁰And they [are] Thy servants, and Thy people, whom Thou hast ransomed by Thy great power, and by Thy strong hand.

¹¹Ah, Gospod, prosim, pazi naj uho tvoje na hlapca tvojega molitev in na molitev hlapcev tvojih, ki se želé bati imena tvojega, in dodeli danes uspeh hlapcu svojemu ter mu daj usmiljenje v očeh tega moža. – Bil sem namreč kraljev točaj.

¹¹`I beseech Thee, O Lord, let, I pray Thee, Thine ear be attentive unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto the prayer of Thy servants, those delighting to fear Thy Name; and give prosperity, I pray Thee, to Thy servant to-day, and give him for mercies before this man;` and I have been butler to the king.