nahemayah 2:1-20
2 ab raja artashatra ke raaj+ ke 20vein saal mein+ nisan * naam ka maheena aaya. raja ke liye daakh-madira laayi gayi aur hamesha ki tarah mainne woh daakh-madira use pesh ki.+ main raja ke saamne pehale kabhi itna udas nahin raha.
2 isliye raja ne mujhse poochha, “tu beemar nahin, fir tere chehre par udasi kyon chhaayi hai? zaroor koi baat tujhe andar-hi-andar khaaye jaa rahi hai.” yah sunkar main bahot ghabra gaya.
3 mainne raja se kaha, “raja ki jay ho! jis shehar mein mere purkhon ko dafnaya gaya tha, jab vahi ujaad pada ho aur uske faatak jalkar raakh ho gaye hon, to bhala main khush kaise reh sakta hoon?”+
4 raja ne mujhse poochha, “bata, tu kya chahta hai?” usi vakt mainne swarg ke parmeshvar se prarthna ki.+
5 fir mainne raja se kaha, “agar raja ko yah manzoor ho aur agar woh apne is sevak se khush hai, to woh mujhe yahooda jaane de. mujhe us shehar jaane de, jahaan mere purkhon ko dafnaya gaya tha taaki main use dobara bana sakoon.”+
6 tab raja ne jiske paas raani bhi baithi hui thi mujhse kaha, “tera yah safar kitne dinon ka hoga? aur tu kab lautega?” raja mujhe bhejne ke liye taiyar ho gaya+ aur mainne use bataya ki mujhe lautne mein kitne din lageinge.+
7 mainne raja se ek aur guzarish ki, “huzoor, mujhe mahanadi ke us paar* ke raajyapalon ke naam khat de+ ki woh mujhe apne ilake se hokar jaane dein aur main sahi-salamat yahooda pahunch sakoon.
8 mujhe shaahi baag ke rakhvale aasap ke naam bhi ek khat de taaki woh mujhe lakdiyaan le jaane de aur main ‘mandir ke kile’+ ke faatak, sheharpanah+ aur apne rehne ke liye ghar bana sakoon.” mera parmeshvar mere saath tha isliye raja ne mujhe woh khat de diye.+
9 jab main mahanadi ke us paar pahuncha, to mainne vahaan ke raajyapalon ko raja ke khat diye. raja ne mere saath apne senapatiyon aur ghudsavaaron ko bhi bheja tha.
10 bet-horon ke rehnevale sanballat+ aur ammoni+ adhikari* tobyah+ ne jab suna ki israel ke logon ki madad karne koi aaya hai, to woh gusse se bhar gaye.
11 ek lamba safar tay karne ke baad, main yarooshalem pahuncha aur teen din tak vahin raha.
12 main raat mein kuch aadmiyon ko lekar nikaal pada. mainne kisi ko kuch nahin bataya ki mere parmeshvar ne yarooshalem ke baare mein mere man mein kya baat daali hai. savaari ke liye hamare paas ek hi gadha tha aur us par main savaar tha.
13 main raat ko ‘ghaati ke faatak’+ se shehar ke baahar nikala aur ajgar sote* ke saamne se hote huye ‘raakh ke dher ke faatak’+ par pahuncha. mainne yarooshalem ki tooti deevaron ka aur raakh ho chuke uske faatkon ka muayna kiya.+
14 fir main us faatak se hote huye gaya jo sota faatak kehlata hai+ aur ‘raja ke taalab’ ki taraf badha. vahaan mere gadhe ke nikaalne ke liye jagah kaafi nahin thi.
15 fir bhi main ghaati+ ke raaste se oopar ki taraf badhta gaya aur raat-bhar sheharpanah ka muayna karta raha. iske baad main vaapas laut aaya aur ‘ghaati ke faatak’ se shehar ke andar aa gaya.
16 adhikari*+ nahin jaante the ki main kahaan gaya tha aur kya kar raha tha. kyonki mainne ab tak adhikariyon,* yahoodiyon, yaajkon, bade-bade logon aur marammat ka kaam karnevalon ko kuch nahin bataya tha.
17 muayna karne ke baad mainne un sabse kaha, “tum dekh sakte ho ki hamari haalaat kitni buri hai. yarooshalem ujaad pada hai aur uske faatak jalkar raakh ho chuke hain. aao, hum yarooshalem ki sheharpanah ko dobara khada karein taaki log hamara mazak udana band kar dein.”
18 fir mainne unhein bataya ki kaise mera parmeshvar mere saath tha+ aur raja ne mujhse kya-kya kaha.+ yah sunkar woh bol uthe, “aao, hum kaam shuroo karein.” is badhiya kaam ke liye unhonne ek-doosre ki himmat bandhayi.+
19 jab is baat ki khabar bet-horon ke rehnevale sanballat, ammoni+ adhikari* tobyah+ aur arab ke rehnevale geshem+ ko mili, to woh hamari khilli udane lage+ aur hamein neecha dikhane lage. woh kehne lage, “yah kya ho raha hai? kya tum log raja se bagavat kar rahe ho?”+
20 lekin mainne kaha, “swarg ka parmeshvar hamare saath hai aur vahi hamein kaamyabi dega.+ hum uske sevak hain aur hum yah sheharpanah banayenge. lekin yarooshalem mein tumhara koi hissa nahin, koi hak nahin! na hi tumne yarooshalem ke liye kuch kiya hai ki tumhein yaad kiya jaaye.”+
kai footnote
^ ati. kha15 dekhein.
^ yaani farat nadi ke pashchim mein.
^ shaa., “karamchari.”
^ mumkin hai ki yah en-rogel ka kuaan tha.
^ ya “maathat adhikari.”
^ ya “maathat adhikariyon.”
^ shaa., “karamchari.”
