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Nehemia 2
Het Boek
Nehemia 2
Het Boek
Nehemia krijgt toestemming terug te keren
2 1,2 Vier maanden later, op een dag in de eerste maand, reikte ik de koning zijn wijn aan. Hij vroeg mij: ‘Waarom kijkt u zo somber? U bent toch niet ziek? U ziet eruit alsof u verdriet hebt.’ Ik werd doodsbang, 3 maar antwoordde: ‘Och majesteit, zou ik niet verdrietig zijn als de stad waar mijn voorouders zijn begraven, is verwoest en haar poorten zijn verbrand?’ 4,5 ‘Wat zou u dan willen?’ vroeg de koning. Na een stil gebed tot de God van de hemel antwoordde ik: ‘Als het uwe majesteit behaagt en u mij uw gunst wilt tonen, stuur mij dan naar Juda. Dan ga ik de stad van mijn voorouders herbouwen!’ 6 De koning antwoordde, terwijl de koningin naast hem zat: ‘Hoe lang zal uw reis duren? Wanneer zult u terug zijn?’ Ik noemde hem een bepaalde tijd en hij gaf mij zijn toestemming! 7 Ik vroeg hem nog een gunst: ‘Als het uwe majesteit behaagt, geef mij dan brieven mee voor de gouverneurs in het gebied ten westen van de Eufraat. Dan zullen zij mij ongehinderd door hun gebied naar Juda laten reizen. 8 En geef mij alstublieft ook een brief voor Asaf, de koninklijke houtvester, met de opdracht mij hout te geven voor dakbalken, voor de poorten van de vesting bij de tempel, voor de stadsmuren en voor een huis voor mijzelf.’ De koning deed wat ik had gevraagd, want God hielp mij.
9 Toen ik bij de gouverneurs ten westen van de Eufraat kwam, overhandigde ik hun de brieven van de koning. De koning had bovendien legerofficieren en ruiters meegegeven om mij onderweg te beschermen! 10 Maar Sanballat, een Horoniet, en Tobia, een Ammoniet die bestuursambtenaar was, hoorden van mijn komst. Zij werden woedend omdat er iemand was gekomen met de bedoeling de Israëlieten te helpen.
11,12 Drie dagen na mijn aankomst in Jeruzalem ging ik ʼs nachts met enkele mannen de stad uit. Ik had niemand iets verteld van de plannen voor Jeruzalem die God mij in het hart had gegeven. Ik reed op mijn ezel en verliet de stad via de Dalpoort. 13 We trokken richting Slangenbron en Aspoort om de afgebroken stadsmuren en verbrande poorten te inspecteren. 14 Vandaar gingen wij naar de Bronpoort en de Koningsvijver, maar mijn ezel kon door al het puin niet verder. 15 Daarom klommen wij die nacht door het Kidrondal omhoog om de muur te inspecteren. Door de Dalpoort keerden wij weer terug. 16 De stadsbestuurders wisten niet waar ik was geweest en wat ik had gedaan. Want tot nog toe had ik niemand iets over mijn plannen verteld. Niemand was ervan op de hoogte, ook de politieke en geestelijke leiders niet en zelfs zij niet die het werk zouden doen. 17 Maar nu kwam ik ermee voor de dag. ‘U kent de trieste omstandigheden waarin wij verkeren,’ zei ik, ‘Jeruzalem ligt in puin en de poorten zijn verbrand. Laten wij de stadsmuur herbouwen, zodat wij niet langer deze schande hoeven te dragen!’ 18 Ik vertelde hun van het verlangen dat God mij in het hart had gegeven en hoe het gesprek met de koning was verlopen. De mannen zeiden: ‘Goed! Wij zullen u helpen de muur te herbouwen!’ Vol ijver gingen zij aan de slag.
19 Toen Sanballat, Tobia en de Arabier Gesem van mijn plan hoorden, lachten zij ons uit en zeiden spottend: ‘Wat gaan jullie doen? Tegen de koning in opstand komen?’ 20 Maar ik antwoordde: ‘De God van de hemel zal ons helpen. Wij, zijn knechten, zullen de muur herbouwen, maar u hoort in Jeruzalem niet thuis, u kunt hier van oudsher geen rechten laten gelden.’
Nehemiah 2
New International Version
Nehemiah 2
New International Version
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!(B) Why should my face not look sad when the city(C) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?(D)”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
6 Then the king(E), with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(F) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel(G) by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me,(H) the king granted my requests.(I) 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry(J) with me.
10 When Sanballat(K) the Horonite and Tobiah(L) the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.(M)
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls
11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days(N) 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate(O) toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate,(P) examining the walls(Q) of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate(R) and the King’s Pool,(S) but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.(T) Come, let us rebuild the wall(U) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(V)” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me(W) and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
19 But when Sanballat(X) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem(Y) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.(Z) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,(AA) but as for you, you have no share(AB) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:13 Or Serpent or Fig
Nehemiah 2
Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah 2
Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem
2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) 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 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad,(B) when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”(C)
I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I[a] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (D)
4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”
So I prayed to the God of the heavens(E) 5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,[b](F) so that I may rebuild it.”(G)
6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time,(H) and it pleased the king to send me.
7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River,(I) so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.(J) 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress,(K) the city wall, and the home where I will live.”[c](L) The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.(M)
9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.(N) The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite(O) and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.(P)
Preparing to Rebuild the Walls
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,(Q) 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took[d] was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s[e] Well and the Dung Gate,(R) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.(S) 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate(T) and the King’s Pool,(U) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate(V) and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. 17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.(W) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,(X) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,(Y) and what the king had said to me.
They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened[f] to do this good work.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,(Z) and Geshem the Arab(AA) heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”(AB)
Het Boek (HTB)
Het Boek Copyright © 1979, 1988, 2007 by Biblica, Inc.®
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.