Nehemiah 2
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
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，
2 so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
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，
3 but I replied to the king, “Long live the king live! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
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﹖」
4 “So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
王問我說：「你要求什麼﹖」我向天上的天主祈禱之後，
5 “If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
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。」
6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
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。
7 I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
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；
8 May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
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。
9 Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
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。
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
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。
11 I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
我到了耶路撒冷，在那裏停留了三天之後，
12 Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
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。
13 So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
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。
14 Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
以後，又到了泉門，到了王池，但那地方不能騎我的牲口過去，
15 So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
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。
16 Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
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。
17 Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
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! 」
18 Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
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。
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
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﹖」
20 But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
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。」
