Возвращение Неемии в Иерусалим

В месяце нисане, в двадцатом году правления царя Артаксеркса[a], ему принесли вино; я взял его и поднес царю. Прежде я никогда не был перед ним печален, и царь спросил меня:

– Почему твое лицо так печально, когда ты не болен? Это не что иное, как тоска на сердце.

Я очень испугался, но сказал царю:

– Да живет царь вовеки! Как же моему лицу не быть печальным, если город, где похоронены мои предки, лежит в руинах, а его ворота уничтожены огнем?

Царь сказал мне:

– Чего же ты хочешь?

Я помолился Богу небесному и ответил царю:

– Если это угодно царю, и если твой слуга нашел у тебя расположение, отпусти меня в Иудею, в город, где похоронены мои предки, чтобы мне отстроить его.

Тогда царь сказал мне (а царица сидела рядом с ним):

– Сколько продлится твое путешествие, и когда ты вернешься?

Царю было угодно меня отпустить, и я назвал сроки. Еще я сказал ему:

– Если это угодно царю, пусть мне дадут письма к наместникам провинции за Евфратом, чтобы они пропускали меня, пока я не прибуду в Иудею. И пусть мне дадут письмо к Асафу, хранителю царских лесов, чтобы он дал мне дерева для того, чтобы сделать балки для ворот крепости при храме, для городской стены и для дома, где я буду жить.

Милостивая рука моего Бога была на мне, и царь исполнил мои просьбы. Я пришел к наместникам провинции за Евфратом и вручил им царские письма. А царь еще послал со мной военачальников и всадников.

10 Когда хоронитянин Санбаллат и аммонитский вельможа Товия услышали об этом, они были крайне возмущены, что кто-то пришел заботиться о благе израильтян.

Неемия осматривает стены Иерусалима

11 Я прибыл в Иерусалим и, пробыв там три дня, 12 ночью тронулся в путь с несколькими людьми. Я никому не рассказал того, что мой Бог положил мне на сердце сделать для Иерусалима. Животных со мной не было, не считая того, на котором я ехал.

13 Ночью я проехал через ворота Долины к Драконьему источнику и Навозным воротам, осматривая разрушенные стены Иерусалима и его сожженные ворота. 14 Потом я проехал к воротам Источника и к царскому пруду, но там было мало места, чтобы пройти животному, на котором я ехал; 15 и я поднялся ночью по долине, осматривая стены. Наконец, я повернул назад и возвратился через ворота Долины. 16 Начальствующие не знали, куда я ходил и что делал – ведь я еще не говорил ни иудеям, ни священникам, ни знати, ни начальствующим, ни всем остальным, кому суждено было предпринять этот труд.

17 Потом я сказал им:

– Вы видите, в какой мы беде: Иерусалим лежит в руинах, а его ворота сожжены. Пойдем, отстроим стену Иерусалима и не будем больше в бесчестии.

18 Еще я рассказал им о милостивой руке моего Бога, что на мне, и о том, что сказал мне царь.

Они ответили:

– Так давайте же строить! – и взялись за это благое дело.

19 Но когда об этом услышал хоронитянин Санбаллат, аммонитский вельможа Товия и араб Гешем, они принялись высмеивать нас и издеваться над нами.

– Что это вы делаете? – спрашивали они. – Против царя бунтуете?

20 Я отвечал им, говоря:

– Бог небесный даст нам успех. Мы, Его слуги, начнем отстраивать эту стену, но что до вас – нет у вас части в Иерусалиме, ни права на него, ни памяти в нем.

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Ранней весной 445 г. до н. э.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of (A)King [a]Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that (B)I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but (C)sorrow of heart.”

So I became [b]dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, (D)“May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when (E)the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with (F)fire?”

Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”

So I (G)prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to 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 of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him (H)a time.

Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the (I)governors of the region beyond [c]the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the [d]citadel which pertains (J)to the [e]temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me (K)according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When (L)Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite [f]official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

11 So I (M)came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. 13 And I went out by night (N)through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the [g]Refuse Gate, and [h]viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were (O)broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14 Then I went on to the (P)Fountain Gate and to the (Q)King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15 So I went up in the night by the (R)valley,[i] and [j]viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies [k]waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be (S)a reproach.” 18 And I told them of (T)the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.

So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they (U)set[l] their hands to this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? (V)Will you rebel against the king?”

20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, (W)but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:1 Artaxerxes Longimanus
  2. Nehemiah 2:2 Lit. very much
  3. Nehemiah 2:7 The Euphrates
  4. Nehemiah 2:8 palace
  5. Nehemiah 2:8 Lit. house
  6. Nehemiah 2:10 Lit. servant
  7. Nehemiah 2:13 Dung
  8. Nehemiah 2:13 examined
  9. Nehemiah 2:15 torrent valley, wadi
  10. Nehemiah 2:15 examined
  11. Nehemiah 2:17 desolate
  12. Nehemiah 2:18 Lit. strengthened

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 unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,

And said unto 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 the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

And the king said unto 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.

Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

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.

10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

11 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, save the beast that I rode upon.

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 the gates thereof were consumed with 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.

15 Then went I 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.

16 And the rulers knew not whither 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.

17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

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 unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

20 Then answered I them, and said unto 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.