< 尼希米記 2 >

1 在阿塔薛西斯王二十年「尼散」月,輪到我掌酒時,我拿起酒來,獻給國王。我不願在王面前現出憂愁,
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
2 王卻問我說:「你不像有病,為什麼面帶愁容﹖沒有別的,你心中一定有愁事! 」我很是驚慌,
so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3 便向君王說:「大王萬歲! 我祖先墳墓所在的城池,成了廢墟,城門為火焚毀,我怎能不面帶愁容呢﹖」
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 王問我說:「你要求什麼﹖」我向天上的天主祈禱之後,
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
5 回答君王說:「大王若看著好,你僕人在你面前若獲得寵遇,就打發我回猶大去,到我祖先墳墓所在的城去,重修那城。」
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 那時,皇后也在旁坐著;王便向我說:「你旅行需要多久﹖你幾時能回來﹖」我向君王說了一個時期;王以為好,就准許我去。
Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.
7 我又向王說:「大王若看著好,請賜我一詔書,通知河西州長放我通行,直到猶大;
I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8 另一詔書,通知護守王家園林的阿撒夫,令他給我木料,為做聖殿堡壘的門戶、城牆和我要住的房舍之用。」賴我的天主慈善的手扶助我,君王都賜給了我。
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9 我一來到河西州長那裏,便向他們呈上君王的詔書。同時君王還派了隊長和馬兵協助我。
Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10 曷龍人桑巴拉特和作臣僕的阿孟人托彼雅,聽說此事,很不高興有人來為以色列子民謀圖福利。
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
11 我到了耶路撒冷,在那裏停留了三天之後,
After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 夜間,我和跟隨我的幾個人起來;當時我並沒有告訴任何人,有關我的天主激發我的心,要為耶路撒冷所作的事;除了我騎的一頭牲口外,也沒有別的牲口。
I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
13 夜間我出來,經過谷門到了龍泉前,又到了糞門,觀察耶路撒冷城牆那裏有缺口,並見城門已被火焚毀。
So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 以後,又到了泉門,到了王池,但那地方不能騎我的牲口過去,
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
15 遂在夜間,由山澗攀登而上,視察了城垣,然後轉身,由谷門進來,回了家。
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 我到過那裏,或作什麼,官員都不知道;直到此時,我也沒有告訴過猶太人、司祭、權貴、官員和其他工作人員。
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.
17 於是我向他們說:「你們都清楚我們所處的苦境:耶路撒冷成了廢墟,城門為火焚毀。來,讓我們重修耶路撒冷的城垣,免得再受人恥笑! 」
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18 隨後,我又向他們報告:我的天主慈善的手怎樣扶助了我,以及君王向我說過什麼話。他們遂說道:「起來,大家一同修建! 」眾人勇氣倍增,遂著手進行。
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
19 當曷龍人桑巴拉特、作臣僕的阿孟人托彼雅,和阿剌伯人革笙聽說這事,就譏笑我們,侮辱我們說:「你們在那裏幹什麼﹖要背叛君王嗎﹖」
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 我答覆他們說:「天上的天主必要使我們成功;我們是他的僕役,要動工興建;至於你們,在耶路撒冷無分無權,也無可留念的事物。」
So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”

< 尼希米記 2 >