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Nehemia 2
BasisBijbel
Nehemia 2
BasisBijbel
Nehemia gaat naar Jeruzalem
2 In de maand Nisan, toen Artasasta 20 jaar koning was, schonk ik zoals gewoonlijk de wijn in voor de koning. Ik gaf hem de beker aan. Nu had de koning mij nog nooit eerder bedroefd gezien. 2 Daarom zei de koning tegen mij: "Wat kijk je somber. Wat is er? Je bent niet ziek, dus ben je zeker bedroefd." 3 Ik schrok erg en zei tegen de koning: "Mijn heer de koning, leef in eeuwigheid! Ik kan niet anders! Want de stad waar mijn voorvaders begraven liggen, ligt in puin en de stadspoorten zijn verbrand!" 4 De koning vroeg: "Kan ik iets voor je doen?" Ik bad tot de God van de hemel en zei toen tegen de koning: 5 "Zou u mij alstublieft naar Juda willen laten gaan, naar de stad waar mijn voorvaders begraven liggen? Ik zou die stad graag willen herbouwen!"
6 De koning zei tegen mij, terwijl zijn vrouw naast hem zat: "Hoelang zal de reis duren? Wanneer denk je terug te komen?" Ik zei hem hoelang ik wilde wegblijven.[a] Toen gaf hij mij toestemming om naar Juda te gaan. 7 En ik vroeg de koning: "Wilt u mij alstublieft brieven meegeven voor de bestuurders van de provincie ten zuiden van de Rivier,[b] dat ze me toestemming geven om door hun gebied te trekken totdat ik in Juda kom. 8 En wilt u mij ook een brief geven voor Asaf, de opzichter van het bos van de koning, dat hij mij hout geeft voor de poortdeuren van de tempel, voor het dak, voor de muur van de stad en voor het huis waar ik zolang zal wonen." En de koning gaf mij deze brieven, omdat mijn God met mij was.
9 Ik kwam bij de bestuurders van het gebied ten zuiden van de Rivier. Ik gaf hun de brieven van de koning. De koning had mij ook soldaten en ruiters meegegeven. 10 Toen Sanballat uit Bet-Horon en zijn Ammonitische ambtenaar Tobia[c] dat hoorden, waren zij er woedend over dat er iemand was gekomen om iets goeds te doen voor de Israëlieten.
Nehemia in Jeruzalem
11 Zo kwam ik in Jeruzalem. Toen ik daar drie dagen was, 12 ging ik 's nachts met een paar mannen op onderzoek uit. Ik had niemand verteld wat God mij op het hart had gelegd om voor Jeruzalem te doen. Ik nam maar één rijdier mee, namelijk de ezel waar ik op reed. 13 Zo vertrok ik 's nachts door de Dalpoort. Ik ging in de richting van de Drakenbron en de Aspoort. Ik onderzocht de muren van Jeruzalem die waren afgebroken en de poortdeuren die waren verbrand. 14 Daarna ging ik verder naar de Bronpoort en de Koningsvijver. Daar kon het dier waar ik op reed niet verder. 15 Daarom klom ik die nacht te voet door de beek naar boven en onderzocht de muur. Daarna ging ik door de Dalpoort terug naar huis.
16 De leiders wisten niet waar ik was geweest of wat ik had gedaan. Want ik had nog tegen niemand van de Judeeërs, de priesters, de leiders en de ambtenaren iets gezegd. 17 Maar toen ik terugkwam, zei ik tegen hen: "Jullie zien hoe slecht onze toestand is. Jeruzalem is verwoest en de poortdeuren zijn verbrand. Ik wil graag met jullie de muren van Jeruzalem weer opbouwen. Dan zullen we niet langer door iedereen uitgelachen worden." 18 Ik vertelde hun wat God voor mij had gedaan en wat de koning tegen mij gezegd had. Toen zeiden ze: "We zullen de muren gaan herbouwen." En ze gingen flink aan het werk.
19 Toen Sanballat, zijn Ammonitische ambtenaar Tobia en de Arabier Gesem dat hoorden, lachten ze ons uit en zeiden: "Wat zijn jullie aan het doen? Zijn jullie soms in opstand gekomen tegen de koning?" 20 Maar ik antwoordde: "De God van de hemel zal ervoor zorgen dat we slagen. Wij zijn Gods dienaren en zullen bouwen. Maar jullie horen hier niet thuis. Jullie hebben helemaal niets in Jeruzalem te zoeken!"
Footnotes
- Nehemia 2:6 Nehemia bleef twaalf jaar weg. Lees Nehemia 5:14.
- Nehemia 2:7 Dat is de rivier de Eufraat.
- Nehemia 2:10 Waarschijnlijk waren Sanballat en Tobia bestuurders in het gebied van Jeruzalem. Misschien waren ze tegen de herbouw van Jeruzalem omdat ze bang waren hun macht te verliezen.
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)
BasisBijbel (BB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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