¹The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

¹ Nehemiya Hakaliya izo baaro neeya: A ciya, Sisleb hando ra, jiiri warankanta ra, ay go Susan faada ra.

¹The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,

²that Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

² Kala Hanani, ay nya ize fo kaa, nga nda Yahuda boro fooyaŋ. Ay mo n'i hã Yahudancey baaru, borey kaŋ yaŋ jin ka du ka ye fu, kaŋ yaŋ cindi tamtaray izey ra. Ay na Urusalima* baaru mo hã.

²that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, that were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

³They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

³ I ne ay se: «Borey kaŋ yaŋ cindi nda fundi tamtara waney ra noodin laabo ra goono ga taabi boobo nda wowi haŋ. Urusalima birni cinaro mo kaŋ, a meyey daabirjey mo, danji n'i ŋwa.»

³And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

⁴It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “Elohim.” of heaven,

⁴ Waato kaŋ ay maa sanney din binde, kal ay goro ganda ka soobay ka hẽ. Ay te jirbiyaŋ ay gonda bine saray. Ay na mehaw da adduwa te mo Irikoy kaŋ go beene jine.

⁴And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,

⁵and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:

⁵ Ay ne: «Ya Rabbi, beene Irikoyo, Irikoyo Beeraykoyo, kaŋ ga humburandi, nin kaŋ ga haggoy da alkawli nda suuji borey kaŋ ga ba nin yaŋ se, ngey kaŋ yaŋ ga haggoy da ni lordey, ay ga ni ŋwaaray no!

⁵and said, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, the God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments:

⁶Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.

⁶ Ma naŋ ni hangey ma hangan, ni moy mo ma goro feeranteyaŋ, zama ni ma hanga jeeri ni tamo adduwa se, kaŋ ay goono ga te ni gaa sohõ cin da zaari ni tamey Israyla* izey se. Ay goono mo ga Israyla izey zunubey ci, wo kaŋ yaŋ iri te ni se. Oho, in d'ay kaayey dumo, iri na zunubi te.

⁶Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee. Yea, I and my father's house have sinned:

⁷We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.

⁷ Iri na kazaamataray goy boobo te ni se. Iri mana ni lordey, wala ni hin sanney, wala ni farilley mo haggoy, wo kaŋ yaŋ ni na ni tamo Musa lordi* nd'ey.

⁷we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

⁸“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;

⁸ Ay ga ni ŋwaaray no, ni ma fongu nda sanno kaŋ ni na ni tamo Musa lordi nd'a, ka ne: ‹D'araŋ na amaana ŋwa, kal ay m'araŋ say-say ndunnya dumey ra.

⁸Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples:

⁹but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’

⁹ Amma d'araŋ ye ka kaa ay do, k'ay lordey haggoy mo zama araŋ m'i goy se, baa day ni wane furantey go beene batama me, kulu nda yaadin hala noodin kala ay ma ye k'i margu, ya kand'ey nango kaŋ ay suuban din k'ay maa daŋ a ma goro a ra.›

⁹but if ye return unto me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.

¹⁰“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand.

¹⁰ A binde, sohõ woone yaŋ wo, ni tamyaŋ da ni jama no, ngey kaŋ yaŋ ni fansa da ni hin beero, da ni kambe gaabikoono mo.

¹⁰Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

¹¹ Lord The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” , I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.

¹¹ Ya ay Koyo, ay ga ni ŋwaaray, ma naŋ ni hanga ma ay, ni tamo ŋwaarayyaŋo hangan sohõ, da ni tamey adduwey mo, borey kaŋ yaŋ ga maa kaani ngey ma humburu ni maa. Ay ga ni ŋwaaray mo ni ma ni tamo albarkandi hunkuna. Ma yadda mo k'ay no suuji boro wo do.» (Ay ya bonkoono haŋyaŋ gaasiya tabako no.)

¹¹O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who delight to fear thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cupbearer to the king.