Nehemiah 2
1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not in times past been sad in his presence.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, he selected wine, and I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never before been sad in his presence.
2 Therefore the king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very greatly afraid,
But the king said to me, “Why is your face so sad? You do not appear to be ill. This must be sadness of heart.” Then I became very much afraid.
3 And said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?
I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad? The city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”
4 Then the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Then the king said to me, “What do you want me to do?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 And I said to the king, If it should please the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
I replied to the king, “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant has done well in your sight, you could send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
6 And the king said to me, (the queen also sitting by him, ) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
The king replied to me (and the queen was also sitting beside him), “How long shall you be away and when will you return?” The king was glad to send me when I gave him the dates.
7 Moreover I said to the king, If it should please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through till I come into Judah;
Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors in the Province Beyond the River so that they may permit me to pass through their territories on my way to Judah.
8 And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which is near to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
May there also be a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress next to the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house in which I will live.” So because the good hand of God was on me, the king granted me my requests.
9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
I came to the governors in the Province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, they were greatly displeased that someone had come who was seeking to help the people of Israel.
11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon.
I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me, other than the one I was riding.
13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and their gates were consumed with fire.
I went out by night by the Valley Gate, toward the Jackal's Well and to the Dung Gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken open, and the wooden gates were destroyed by fire.
14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool. The place was too narrow for the animal I was riding to pass through.
15 Then I went up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
So I went up that night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
16 And the rulers knew not where I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
The rulers did not know where I went or what I did, and I had not yet informed the Jews, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the rulers, nor the rest who did the work.
17 Then said I to them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and its gates are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may be no more a reproach.
I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so we will no longer be in disgrace.”
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
I told them that the good hand of my God was on me and also about the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they mocked, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us, and they said, “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 Then I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Then I answered them, “The God of heaven will give us success. We are his servants and we will arise and build. But you have no share, no right, and no historic claim in Jerusalem.”
