Lesson 078
Let’s go back a few years. Nehemiah, a servant of King Artaxerxes, was an Israelite who lived in the Persian city of Shushan.
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.
Nehemiah’s brother came from Judah with bad news:
Vbe ọtiẹn e Nehimaia ọkpa ghi ke Juda rre, ọ na tama e Nehimaia wẹẹ:
‘The people who returned to Jerusalem are not safe. The city walls and gates that the Babylonians destroyed have never been rebuilt.’
‘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.’
Nehemiah was upset. He wanted to go to Jerusalem to help, so he prayed that the king would let him go.
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.
Later, the king noticed that Nehemiah was looking sad.
Vbọ ghi sẹ ẹdẹ ọkpa, ọba na do bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ e Nehimaia i ghọghọ.
He said:
Ọ keghi tama e Nehimaia wẹẹ:
‘I’ve never seen you like this.
‘Aro ruẹ i mose vbe uhunmwu.
What’s wrong?’
Vbọ sunu?’
Nehemiah said:
E Nehimaia keghi wanniẹn wẹẹ:
‘Why should I not look sad when my city, Jerusalem, is in ruins?’
‘De vbene aro mwẹ khian ya gha mose vbe uhunmwu hẹ, vbene arrọọ ọghe emwa ni rre Jerusalẹm ne ẹvbo mwẹ, na rre ikpadede?’
The king asked:
Ẹre ọba na ghi nọ rẹn wẹẹ:
‘What do you want me to do for you?’
‘Vbua hoo ne I ru nuẹ?’
Immediately, Nehemiah prayed silently.
Vbobọvbobọ, e Nehimaia keghi na erhunmwu gie Jehova vbuwe ekhọe ọghẹe.
Then he said:
Ọ na ghi tama ọba wẹẹ:
‘Please, let me go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.’
‘Lahọ, gu mwẹ gha rrie Jerusalẹm ne I ya dọlegbe bọ ogba ekẹn ọghẹe.’
King Artaxerxes told Nehemiah that he could go, and the king made sure that he would be safe on his long journey.
Ọba e Zakzis keghi kpasẹ yọ ne Nehimaia gha khian, ọ na vbe ru emwamwa ne Nehimaia sẹtin sẹ e Jerusalẹm vbe egbe hẹnẹdẹn.
He also made Nehemiah governor of Judah and gave him wood for the city gates.
Ọ na mu e Nehimaia ye ukpo ukọ arriọba ọghe Juda, ọ na vbe viọ erhan nẹ, ne ọ ya winna.
When Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem, he inspected the city walls.
Vbe Nehimaia ghi sẹ e Jerusalẹm, ọ na kin ogba ekẹn nii lẹga.
Then he gathered the priests and rulers and told them:
Iyeke ọni, ọ na si avbe ohẹn kevbe emwa ni khaevbisẹ koko, ọ na tama iran wẹẹ:
‘This is terrible.
‘Ọna i zẹdẹ maan.
We need to get to work.’
Te ọ wa khẹke ne ima suẹn iwinna nia.’
The people agreed, and they began to rebuild the walls.
Emwa hia keghi kueyọ, iran na suẹn ogba ekẹn nii na bọ.
But some of the Israelite’s enemies made fun of them, and said:
Eghian ọghe Ivbi Izrẹl eso na gha ya iran gbogiẹ, iran na gha kha wẹẹ:
‘A fox could knock down the wall you’re building.’
‘Umuọkhọkhọ gha wa hin ogba ekẹn na, ọ wa kharha kua.’
The workers ignored the insults and kept on building.
Sokpan Ivbi Izrẹl ma kue ne ẹmwẹ na, gbe orhiọn ye iran iwu.
The wall got higher and stronger.
Eghian ọghe iran ke rẹn emwi nọ sunu, ogba ekẹn nii sẹ odukhunmwu nẹ.
The enemies decided to come from different directions and make a surprise attack on Jerusalem.
Eghian ọghe iran ni rre ẹvbo ughughan na gha ru emwamwa ne iran do ya gu Ivbi Izrẹl khọn.
When the Jews heard about the plan, they were frightened.
Vbe iran ghi họn vbekpa re, ohan na gha mu iran.
But Nehemiah said:
Sokpan e Nehimaia keghi tama iran wẹẹ:
‘Don’t be afraid.
‘Uwa ghẹ gi ohan mu uwa.
Jehovah is with us.’
E Jehova gu ima rrọọ.’
He posted guards to protect the workers, and the enemies were not able to attack.
Ọ keghi ru emwamwa ne avbe ọbodẹ gha gbogba ga emwa ni winna, rhunmwuda ọni, eghian ma ghi sẹtin sẹ eke ne iran ye.
In just 52 days, the walls and the gates were completed.
Ikpẹdẹ 52 kẹkan ẹre ọ rhie iran re, ne iran ya bọ ogba ekẹn nii fo.
Nehemiah brought all the Levites to Jerusalem for the inauguration. He organized them into two groups of singers.
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.
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.
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.
Ezra went with one group, and Nehemiah with the other, until they met up at the temple.
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.
All the people—men, women, and children—offered sacrifices to Jehovah and celebrated.
Emwa hia—ikpia, ikhuo, ọmobọ ke ọmowẹ—keghi ru izọese gie Jehova, iran na gha ghọghọ.
The sound of their happy voices could be heard far away.
Ẹi mwẹ emwa ni rre ẹvbo ọvbehe ma gha họn vbe iran bọbọ ugie nii.
“No weapon formed against you will have any success.”—Isaiah 54:17
“Emwi igbinna ọkpa ne ọ gha sẹtin kuan ruẹn egbe i rrọọ.”—Aizaia 54:17
Questions:
Inọta:
Why did Nehemiah go to Jerusalem?
Vbọsiẹ ne Nehimaia na gha rrie Jerusalẹm?
How long did it take to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem?
Inu ẹghẹ ẹre ọ rhie iran re, ne iran ya bọ ogba ekẹn ọghe Jerusalẹm fo?