Nehemiah 2:1-3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem
2 During the month of Nisan[a] 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 are you[b] sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.”[c](B)
I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I[d] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”(C)
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- Nehemiah 2:1 = March–April; called Abib in the pre-exilic period; Ex 13:4; Dt 16:1
- Nehemiah 2:2 Lit Why is your face
- Nehemiah 2:2 Lit sadness of heart
- Nehemiah 2:3 Lit my face
Nehemiah 2:1-3
International Standard Version
Nehemiah’s Conversation with the King
2 It came about in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, during the month of Nissan, the king was about to drink some wine that I was preparing for him.[a] Now I had never looked troubled in his presence.
2 The king asked me, “Why do you look so troubled, since you’re not ill? This cannot be anything else but troubles of the heart.”
Then I was filled with fear. 3 I replied to the king, “May the king live forever. Why shouldn’t I be troubled, since the city where my ancestral sepulchers are located lies waste, with its gates burned by fire?”
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- Nehemiah 2:1 Lit. I took up the wine and gave it to the king
Nehemiah 2:1-3
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)”
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