Let’s go back a few years. Nehemiah, a servant of King Artaxerxes, was an Israelite who lived in the Persian city of Shushan. Nehemiah’s brother came from Judah with bad news: ‘The people who returned to Jerusalem are not safe. The city walls and gates that the Babylonians destroyed have never been rebuilt.’ Nehemiah was upset. He wanted to go to Jerusalem to help, so he prayed that the king would let him go.

Later, the king noticed that Nehemiah was looking sad. He said: ‘I’ve never seen you like this. What’s wrong?’ Nehemiah said: ‘Why should I not look sad when my city, Jerusalem, is in ruins?’ The king asked: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Immediately, Nehemiah prayed silently. Then he said: ‘Please, let me go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.’ King Artaxerxes told Nehemiah that he could go, and the king made sure that he would be safe on his long journey. He also made Nehemiah governor of Judah and gave him wood for the city gates.

When Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem, he inspected the city walls. Then he gathered the priests and rulers and told them: ‘This is terrible. We need to get to work.’ The people agreed, and they began to rebuild the walls.

But some of the Israelite’s enemies made fun of them, and said: ‘A fox could knock down the wall you’re building.’ The workers ignored the insults and kept on building. The wall got higher and stronger.

The enemies decided to come from different directions and make a surprise attack on Jerusalem. When the Jews heard about the plan, they were frightened. But Nehemiah said: ‘Don’t be afraid. Jehovah is with us.’ He posted guards to protect the workers, and the enemies were not able to attack.

 In just 52 days, the walls and the gates were completed. Nehemiah brought all the Levites to Jerusalem for the inauguration. He organized them into two groups of singers. They went up on the wall by the stairs at the Fountain Gate and then marched in opposite directions around the city. They played trumpets, cymbals, and harps and sang to Jehovah. Ezra went with one group, and Nehemiah with the other, until they met up at the temple. All the people​—men, women, and children—​offered sacrifices to Jehovah and celebrated. The sound of their happy voices could be heard far away.

Ọ vbe gha mwẹ Ovbi Izrẹl ọkpa na tie ẹre Nehimaia nọ ghaa re ọguọmwadia Ọba e Zakzis, vbe ẹvbo e Susa nọ rre otọ e Pẹsia. Vbe ọtiẹn e Nehimaia ọkpa ghi ke Juda rre, ọ na tama e Nehimaia wẹẹ: ‘Arrọọ ọghe Ivbi Izrẹl ni werriegbe gha rrie Jerusalẹm wa rre ikpadede, rhunmwuda, a ma he ye bọ ogba ekẹn ọghe iran, ne Ivbi e Babilọn guọghọẹ.’ Ọ keghi da e Nehimaia sẹ ugboloko vbe ọ họn iyẹn na. Ọ keghi na erhunmwu gie Jehova, ne ọ ya obọ kaan ọba ekhọe, ne ọba mieke na kpasẹ yọ ne irẹn gha rrie Jerusalẹm ya ru iyobọ ne Ivbi Izrẹl.

Vbọ ghi sẹ ẹdẹ ọkpa, ọba na do bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ e Nehimaia i ghọghọ. Ọ keghi tama e Nehimaia wẹẹ: ‘Aro ruẹ i mose vbe uhunmwu. Vbọ sunu?’ E Nehimaia keghi wanniẹn wẹẹ: ‘De vbene aro mwẹ khian ya gha mose vbe uhunmwu hẹ, vbene arrọọ ọghe emwa ni rre Jerusalẹm ne ẹvbo mwẹ, na rre ikpadede?’ Ẹre ọba na ghi nọ rẹn wẹẹ: ‘Vbua hoo ne I ru nuẹ?’ Vbobọvbobọ, e Nehimaia keghi na erhunmwu gie Jehova vbuwe ekhọe ọghẹe. Ọ na ghi tama ọba wẹẹ: ‘Lahọ, gu mwẹ gha rrie Jerusalẹm ne I ya dọlegbe bọ ogba ekẹn ọghẹe.’ Ọba e Zakzis keghi kpasẹ yọ ne Nehimaia gha khian, ọ na vbe ru emwamwa ne Nehimaia sẹtin sẹ e Jerusalẹm vbe egbe hẹnẹdẹn. Ọ na mu e Nehimaia ye ukpo ukọ arriọba ọghe Juda, ọ na vbe viọ erhan nẹ, ne ọ ya winna.

Vbe Nehimaia ghi sẹ e Jerusalẹm, ọ na kin ogba ekẹn nii lẹga. Iyeke ọni, ọ na si avbe ohẹn kevbe emwa ni khaevbisẹ koko, ọ na tama iran wẹẹ: ‘Ọna i zẹdẹ maan. Te ọ wa khẹke ne ima suẹn iwinna nia.’ Emwa hia keghi kueyọ, iran na suẹn ogba ekẹn nii na bọ.

Eghian ọghe Ivbi Izrẹl eso na gha ya iran gbogiẹ, iran na gha kha wẹẹ: ‘Umuọkhọkhọ gha wa hin ogba ekẹn na, ọ wa kharha kua.’ Sokpan Ivbi Izrẹl ma kue ne ẹmwẹ na, gbe orhiọn ye iran iwu. Eghian ọghe iran ke rẹn emwi nọ sunu, ogba ekẹn nii sẹ odukhunmwu nẹ.

Eghian ọghe iran ni rre ẹvbo ughughan na gha ru emwamwa ne iran do ya gu Ivbi Izrẹl khọn. Vbe iran ghi họn vbekpa re, ohan na gha mu iran. Sokpan e Nehimaia keghi tama iran wẹẹ: ‘Uwa ghẹ gi ohan mu uwa. E Jehova gu ima rrọọ.’ Ọ keghi ru emwamwa ne avbe ọbodẹ gha gbogba ga  emwa ni winna, rhunmwuda ọni, eghian ma ghi sẹtin sẹ eke ne iran ye.

Ikpẹdẹ 52 kẹkan ẹre ọ rhie iran re, ne iran ya bọ ogba ekẹn nii fo. E Nehimaia keghi gie na tie Ivbi e Livai hia gha die Jerusalẹm ne iran do ya ogba ekẹn nii fiohan gie Osanobua. Ọ na ghae iran ye ẹbu eva ni so ihuan. Zẹvbe ne iran ya gha bi la odukhunmwu ogba ekẹn nii khian, iran kegha rho e Jehova, vbene iran na gha kpee okpe, ukusẹ kevbe akpata. Ẹzra keghi lele ẹbu ọkpa la obọ ọkpa, e Nehimaia na lele ẹbu nọkpa la obọ ọvbehe, iran hia na ya vba egbe vbe ọgua Osa. Emwa hia​—⁠ikpia, ikhuo, ọmobọ ke ọmowẹ—keghi ru izọese gie Jehova, iran na gha ghọghọ. Ẹi mwẹ emwa ni rre ẹvbo ọvbehe ma gha họn vbe iran bọbọ ugie nii.