Nehemiah 2
1 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,
亚达薛西王二十年尼散月，在王面前摆酒，我拿起酒来奉给王。我素来在王面前没有愁容。
2 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
王对我说：“你既没有病，为什么面带愁容呢？这不是别的，必是你心中愁烦。”于是我甚惧怕。
3 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?”
我对王说：“愿王万岁！我列祖坟墓所在的那城荒凉，城门被火焚烧，我岂能面无愁容吗？”
4 “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
王问我说：“你要求什么？”于是我默祷天上的 神。
5 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.”
我对王说：“仆人若在王眼前蒙恩，王若喜欢，求王差遣我往犹大，到我列祖坟墓所在的那城去，我好重新建造。”
6 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.
那时王后坐在王的旁边。王问我说：“你去要多少日子？几时回来？”我就定了日期。于是王喜欢差遣我去。
7 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.
我又对王说：“王若喜欢，求王赐我诏书，通知大河西的省长准我经过，直到犹大；
8 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.
又赐诏书，通知管理王园林的亚萨，使他给我木料，做属殿营楼之门的横梁和城墙，与我自己房屋使用的。”王就允准我，因我 神施恩的手帮助我。
9 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.
王派了军长和马兵护送我。我到了河西的省长那里，将王的诏书交给他们。
10 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.
和伦人参巴拉，并为奴的亚扪人多比雅，听见有人来为以色列人求好处，就甚恼怒。
11 After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
我到了耶路撒冷，在那里住了三日。
12 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.
我夜间起来，有几个人也一同起来；但 神使我心里要为耶路撒冷做什么事，我并没有告诉人。除了我骑的牲口以外，也没有别的牲口在我那里。
13 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.
当夜我出了谷门，往野狗井去，到了粪厂门，察看耶路撒冷的城墙，见城墙拆毁，城门被火焚烧。
14 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;
我又往前，到了泉门和王池，但所骑的牲口没有地方过去。
15 so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
于是夜间沿溪而上，察看城墙，又转身进入谷门，就回来了。
16 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.
我往哪里去，我做什么事，官长都不知道。我还没有告诉犹大平民、祭司、贵胄、官长，和其余做工的人。
17 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.”
以后，我对他们说：“我们所遭的难，耶路撒冷怎样荒凉，城门被火焚烧，你们都看见了。来吧，我们重建耶路撒冷的城墙，免得再受凌辱！”
18 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.
我告诉他们我 神施恩的手怎样帮助我，并王对我所说的话。他们就说：“我们起来建造吧！”于是他们奋勇做这善工。
19 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?”
但和伦人参巴拉，并为奴的亚扪人多比雅和阿拉伯人基善听见就嗤笑我们，藐视我们，说：“你们做什么呢？要背叛王吗？”
20 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.”
我回答他们说：“天上的 神必使我们亨通。我们作他仆人的，要起来建造；你们却在耶路撒冷无分、无权、无纪念。”
