Nehemiah 2:4-8

English Standard Version

⁴Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed ^(A)to the God of heaven. ⁵And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” ⁶And the king said to me (^(B)the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me ^(C)when I had given him a time. ⁷And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me ^(D)to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, ⁸and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^(E)the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, ^(F)for the good hand of my God was upon me.

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Nehemiah 2:4-8

International Standard Version

⁴The king answered, “What do you want?”

So I prayed to the God of heaven ⁵and I replied to the king, “If it seems good to you, and if your servant has found favor with you, would you send me to Judah, to the city where my ancestral sepulchers are located, so I can rebuild it?”

⁶With his queen seated beside him, the king asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” The king thought it was a good idea^[a] to send me, so I presented him with a prepared plan.^[b]

⁷I also asked the king, “If it seems good to you, order that letters of authorization be given me for the Trans-Euphrates^[c] governors, so they will allow me to pass through to Judah, ⁸along with a letter to Asaph, the royal Commissioner of Forests, so that he will supply me with timber to craft beams for the gatehouses of the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house in which I will be living.”

The king granted this for me, according to the good hand of my God.

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Footnotes

Nehemiah 2:6 Lit. It was good to the king
Nehemiah 2:6 Lit. a season
Nehemiah 2:7 Lit. Beyond the River

Nehemiah 2:4-8

New International Version

⁴The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, ⁵and 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.”

⁶Then the king^(A), 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.

⁷I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,^(B) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? ⁸And 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^(C) 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,^(D) the king granted my requests.^(E)