Tau foki angé ki mui ʻi ha ngaahi taʻu siʻi. Ko Nehemaiá, ko ha sevāniti ia ʻa Tuʻi ʻAtasease, ko ha ʻIsileli ʻa ia naʻe nofo ʻi he kolo Pēsia ko Sūsani. Naʻe haʻu ʻa e tokoua ʻo Nehemaiá mo ha ongoongo kovi mei Siuta: ‘Ko e kakai naʻa nau foki ki Selusalemá ʻoku ʻikai te nau malu. Ko e ngaahi ʻā mo e matapā ʻo e koló ʻa ia naʻe fakaʻauha ʻe Pāpiloné kuo ʻikai ʻaupito ke toe langa.’ Naʻe loto-mamahi ʻa Nehemaia. Naʻá ne loto ke ne ʻalu ki Selusalema ʻo tokoni, ko ia naʻá ne lotu ai ke fakaʻatā ia ʻe he tuʻí ke ne ʻalu.

Ki mui ai, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe he tuʻí naʻe mata mamahi ʻa Nehemaia. Naʻá ne pehē ange: ‘Kuo ʻikai ʻaupito te u sio ʻokú ke peheni. Ko e hā ʻa e meʻa ʻoku hokó?’ Naʻe pehē ʻe Nehemaia: ‘Ko e hā ke ʻikai ai te u mata mamahi lolotonga ia ko hoku koló, ʻa Selusalema, ʻoku ʻi ha fokotuʻunga maumau?’ Naʻe ʻeke ange ʻe he tuʻí: ‘Ko e hā ʻokú ke loto ke u fai maʻaú?’ ʻI he taimi pē ko iá, naʻe lotu fakalongolongo ai ʻa Nehemaia. Peá ne pehē ange leva: ‘Fakaʻatā muʻa au ke u ʻalu ki Selusalema ʻo toe langa ʻa e ʻaá.’ Naʻe tala ange ʻe Tuʻi ʻAtasease kia Nehemaia ʻe lava ke ne ʻalu, pea naʻe fakapapauʻi ʻe he tuʻí te ne malu ʻi heʻene fononga lōloá. Naʻá ne toe fakanofo foki ʻa Nehemaia ke ne hoko ko e kōvana ʻo Siuta peá ne ʻoange kiate ia ʻa e papa ke ngaohiʻaki ʻa e matapā ʻo e koló.

ʻI he aʻu ʻa Nehemaia ki Selusalemá, naʻá ne vakaiʻi ʻa e ʻā ʻo e koló. Peá ne fakatahatahaʻi mai leva ʻa e kau taulaʻeikí mo e kau pulé ʻo ne tala kiate kinautolu: ‘ʻOku kovi ʻaupito eni. ʻOku fiemaʻu ke tau fai ha ngāue.’ Naʻe loto ki ai ʻa e kakaí, pea naʻe kamata ke nau toe langa ʻa e ʻaá.

Ka naʻe fakakataʻaki kinautolu ʻe he niʻihi ʻo e ngaahi fili ʻo ʻIsilelí, ʻo nau pehē: ‘ʻE lava pē ʻe ha fōkisi ʻo holoki ʻa e ʻā ʻoku mou langá.’ Naʻe tukunoaʻi pē ʻe he kau ngāué ʻa e laukoví pea hokohoko atu ʻenau langá. Naʻe ʻalu ke toe māʻolunga mo mālohi ange ʻa e ʻaá.

Naʻe fakapapauʻi ʻe he ngaahi filí ke nau haʻu mei he ngaahi tafaʻaki kehekehe ʻo ʻohofi fakafokifā ʻa Selusalema. ʻI he fanongo ʻa e kau Siú fekauʻaki mo e palaní, naʻa nau ilifia. Ka naʻe pehē ʻe Nehemaia: ‘ʻOua ʻe ilifia. ʻOku kau ʻa Sihova mo kitautolu.’ Naʻá ne fokotuʻu ha kau leʻo ke nau maluʻi ʻa e kau ngāué, pea naʻe ʻikai malava ke ʻohofi kinautolu ʻe he filí.

 ʻI he ʻaho pē ʻe 52, naʻe ʻosi ai ʻa hono langa ʻa e ʻaá mo e matapaá. Naʻe ʻomi ʻe Nehemaia ʻa e kau Līvaí kotoa ki Selusalema ki hono hūfí. Naʻá ne fokotuʻutuʻu kinautolu ki ha ongo kulupu ʻe ua ʻo e kau hiva. Naʻa nau ʻalu hake ʻi he sitepu ʻi he ʻaá ʻi he Matapā Faunitení pea mavaeua leva ʻo laka takai ʻi he koló ʻi he ongo tafaʻakí fakatouʻosi. Naʻa nau ifi talupite, tā simipale, mo e haʻape mo nau hiva kia Sihova. Naʻe ʻalu ʻa ʻĒsela mo e kulupu ʻe taha, pea ko Nehemaia mo e kulupu ʻe taha, ʻo nau fetaulaki ʻi he temipalé. Ko e kakaí kotoa​—ʻa e kakai tangatá, kakai fefiné, mo e fānaú—​naʻa nau fai ʻa e ngaahi feilaulau kia Sihova mo e kātoanga. Naʻe lava ke ongoʻi mei he mamaʻó ʻa honau ngaahi leʻo fiefiá.