Nehemiah 2
1 And it comes to pass, in the month of Nisan, the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, wine [is] before him, and I lift up the wine, and give to the king, and I had not been sad before him;
| וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן שְׁנַ֥ת עֶשְׂרִ֛ים לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יַ֣יִן לְפָנָ֑יו וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־הַיַּ֙יִן֙ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְלֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי רַ֖ע לְפָנָֽיו׃ |
2 and the king says to me, “Why [is] your face sad, and you not sick? This is nothing except sadness of heart”; and I fear very much,
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנֶ֣יךָ רָעִ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ אֵֽינְךָ֣ חוֹלֶ֔ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב וָאִירָ֖א הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ |
3 and say to the king, “Let the king live for all time! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of the graves of my fathers, [is] a desolation, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
| וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִחְיֶ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָעִ֜יר בֵּית־קִבְר֤וֹת אֲבֹתַי֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ ס |
4 And the king says to me, “For what are you seeking?” And I pray to the God of the heavens,
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ |
5 and say to the king, “If [it is] good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before you, that you send me to Judah, to the city of the graves of my fathers, and I have built it.”
| וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־עִ֛יר קִבְר֥וֹת אֲבֹתַ֖י וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃ |
6 And the king says to me (and the queen is sitting near him), “How long is your journey? And when do you return?” And it is good before the king, and he sends me away, and I set to him a time.
| וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶצְל֗וֹ עַד־מָתַ֛י יִהְיֶ֥ה מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ וּמָתַ֣י תָּשׁ֑וּב וַיִּיטַ֤ב לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ זְמָֽן׃ |
7 And I say to the king, “If [it is] good to the king, let letters be given to me for the governors beyond the River, that they let me pass over until I come to Judah:
| וָאוֹמַר֮ לַמֶּלֶךְ֒ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב אִגְּרוֹת֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֔י עַֽל־פַּחֲו֖וֹת עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר אֲשֶׁר֙ יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־אָב֖וֹא אֶל־יְהוּדָֽה׃ |
8 and a letter to Asaph, keeper of the paradise that the king has, that he give to me trees for beams [for] the gates of the palace that the house has, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I enter”; and the king gives to me, according to the good hand of my God on me.
| וְאִגֶּ֡רֶת אֶל־אָסָף֩ שֹׁמֵ֨ר הַפַּרְדֵּ֜ס אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לִ֣י עֵצִ֡ים לְ֠קָרוֹת אֶת־שַׁעֲרֵ֨י הַבִּירָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לַבַּ֙יִת֙ וּלְחוֹמַ֣ת הָעִ֔יר וְלַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־אָב֣וֹא אֵלָ֑יו וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כְּיַד־אֱלֹהַ֖י הַטּוֹבָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃ |
9 And I come to the governors beyond the River, and give to them the letters of the king; and the king sends with me heads of a force, and horsemen;
| וָֽאָב֗וֹא אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲווֹת֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אִגְּר֣וֹת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח עִמִּי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שָׂ֥רֵי חַ֖יִל וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ פ |
10 and Sanballat the Horonite hears, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it is evil to them—a great evil—that a man has come to seek good for the sons of Israel.
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע סַנְבַלַּ֣ט הַחֹרֹנִ֗י וְטֽוֹבִיָּה֙ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּנִ֔י וַיֵּ֥רַע לָהֶ֖ם רָעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א אָדָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ טוֹבָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
11 And I come to Jerusalem, and I am there three days,
| וָאָב֖וֹא אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וָאֱהִי־שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֥ים שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ |
12 and I rise by night, I and a few men with me, and have not declared to a man what my God is giving to my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there is no beast with me except the beast on which I am riding.
| וָאָק֣וּם ׀ לַ֗יְלָה אֲנִי֮ וַאֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ מְעַט֮ עִמִּי֒ וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי לְאָדָ֔ם מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔י לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת לִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וּבְהֵמָה֙ אֵ֣ין עִמִּ֔י כִּ֚י אִם־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י רֹכֵ֥ב בָּֽהּ׃ |
13 And I go out through the Valley Gate by night, and to the front of the Dragon Fountain, and to the Refuse Gate, and I am inspecting the walls of Jerusalem, that are broken down, and its gates consumed with fire.
| וָאֵצְאָ֨ה בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּ֜יא לַ֗יְלָה וְאֶל־פְּנֵי֙ עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין וְאֶל־שַׁ֖עַר הָאַשְׁפֹּ֑ת וָאֱהִ֨י שֹׂבֵ֜ר בְּחוֹמֹ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ אֲשֶׁר־המפרוצים וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ |
14 And I pass over to the Fountain Gate, and to the King’s Pool, and there is no place for the beast under me to pass over,
| וָאֶֽעֱבֹר֙ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר הָעַ֔יִן וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַ֖ת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְאֵין־מָק֥וֹם לַבְּהֵמָ֖ה לַעֲבֹ֥ר תַּחְתָּֽי׃ |
15 and I am going up through the brook by night, and am inspecting the wall, and turn back, and come in through the Valley Gate, and turn back.
| וָאֱהִ֨י עֹלֶ֤ה בַנַּ֙חַל֙ לַ֔יְלָה וָאֱהִ֥י שֹׂבֵ֖ר בַּחוֹמָ֑ה וָאָשׁ֗וּב וָאָב֛וֹא בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַגַּ֖יְא וָאָשֽׁוּב׃ |
16 And the prefects have not known to where I have gone, and what I am doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the nobles, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, until now I have not declared [it];
| וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים לֹ֤א יָדְעוּ֙ אָ֣נָה הָלַ֔כְתִּי וּמָ֖ה אֲנִ֣י עֹשֶׂ֑ה וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים וְלַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְלַחֹרִ֣ים וְלַסְּגָנִ֗ים וּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙ עֹשֵׂ֣ה הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה עַד־כֵּ֖ן לֹ֥א הִגַּֽדְתִּי׃ |
17 and I say to them, “You are seeing the evil that we are in, in that Jerusalem [is] desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire; come and we build the wall of Jerusalem, and we are not a reproach anymore.”
| וָאוֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חוֹמַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד חֶרְפָּֽה׃ |
18 And I declare to them the hand of my God that is good on me, and also the words of the king that he said to me, and they say, “Let us rise, and we have built”; and they strengthen their hands for good.
| וָאַגִּ֨יד לָהֶ֜ם אֶת־יַ֣ד אֱלֹהַ֗י אֲשֶׁר־הִיא֙ טוֹבָ֣ה עָלַ֔י וְאַף־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־לִ֑י וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֔ינוּ וַיְחַזְּק֥וּ יְדֵיהֶ֖ם לַטּוֹבָֽה׃ פ |
19 And Sanballat the Horonite hears, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, “What [is] this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
| וַיִּשְׁמַע֩ סַנְבַלַּ֨ט הַחֹרֹנִ֜י וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה ׀ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗י וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙ הָֽעַרְבִ֔י וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ לָ֔נוּ וַיִּבְז֖וּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים הַעַ֥ל הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אַתֶּ֥ם מֹרְדִֽים׃ |
20 And I return them word, and say to them, “The God of the heavens—He gives prosperity to us, and we His servants rise and have built; and to you there is no portion, and right, and memorial in Jerusalem.”
| וָאָשִׁ֨יב אוֹתָ֜ם דָּבָ֗ר וָאוֹמַ֤ר לָהֶם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ה֚וּא יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ לָ֔נוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֑ינוּ וְלָכֶ֗ם אֵֽין־חֵ֧לֶק וּצְדָקָ֛ה וְזִכָּר֖וֹן בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ |
