Nehemiah 2
Common English Bible
2 1 In the month of Nisan,[a] in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the king was about to be served wine. I took the wine and gave it to the king. Since I had never seemed sad in his presence, 2 the king asked me, “Why do you seem sad? Since you aren’t sick, you must have a broken heart!”
I was very afraid 3 and replied, “May the king live forever! Why shouldn’t I seem sad when the city, the place of my family’s graves, is in ruins and its gates destroyed by fire?”
4 The king asked, “What is it that you need?”
I prayed to the God of heaven 5 and replied, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, please send me to Judah, to the city of my family’s graves so that I may rebuild it.”
6 With the queen sitting beside him, the king asked me, “How long will you be away and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given me addressed to the governors of the province Beyond the River to allow me to travel to Judah. 8 May the king also issue a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to supply me with timber for the beams of the temple fortress gates, for the city wall, and for the house in which I will live.”
The king gave me what I asked, for the gracious power of my God was with me.
Inspecting Jerusalem
9 So I went to the governors of the province[b] Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. The king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, they were very angry that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
11 When I reached Jerusalem and had been there for three days, 12 I set out at night, taking only a few people with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God was prompting me to do for Jerusalem, and the only animal I took was the one I rode. 13 I went out by night through the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring to the Dung Gate so that I could inspect the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down, as well as its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14 Then I went on to the Spring Gate and to the King’s Pool. Since there was no room for the animal on which I was riding to pass, 15 I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and returned by entering through the Valley Gate.
Let’s rebuild
16 The officials didn’t know where I had gone or what I was doing. I hadn’t yet told the Jews, the priests, the officials, the officers, or the rest who were to do the work. 17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble that we’re in: Jerusalem is in ruins, and its gates are destroyed by fire! Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we won’t continue to be in disgrace.” 18 I told them that my God had taken care of me, and also told them what the king had said to me.
“Let’s start rebuilding!” they said, and they eagerly began the work.[c]
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and made fun of us. “What are you doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 “The God of heaven will give us success!” I replied. “As God’s servants, we will start building. But you will have no share, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:1 March–April
- Nehemiah 2:9 Heb lacks of the province.
- Nehemiah 2:18 Or they strengthened their hands for the good.
Nehemías 2
Dios Habla Hoy
2 1 Y un día del mes de Nisán, en el año veinte de su reinado, mientras yo le servía vino, el rey me vio tan triste 2 que me preguntó:
—Te veo muy triste. ¿Qué te pasa? No pareces estar enfermo, así que has de tener algún problema.
En ese momento sentí un gran temor, 3 y le dije al rey:
—¡Viva siempre Su Majestad! ¿Y cómo no he de verme triste, si la ciudad donde están las tumbas de mis padres se halla en ruinas y sus puertas han sido quemadas?
4 —¿Qué puedo hacer por ti? —preguntó el rey.
Entonces me encomendé al Dios del cielo, 5 y respondí al rey:
—Si a Su Majestad le parece bien, y si he alcanzado su favor, pido a Su Majestad que me mande a Judá, a la ciudad donde están enterrados mis padres, para que yo la reconstruya.
6 El rey, a cuyo lado estaba sentada la reina, me contestó:
—¿Cuánto tiempo durará tu viaje? ¿Cuándo volverás?
Yo le indiqué la fecha, y él aceptó dejarme ir. 7 Además le dije que, si lo estimaba conveniente, se me diera una orden por escrito dirigida a los gobernadores al oeste del río Éufrates, para que me dejaran pasar libremente hasta llegar a Judá; 8 y otra orden escrita para que Asaf, el guardabosques del rey, me diera madera para recubrir las puertas de la ciudadela del templo, así como para la muralla de la ciudad y para la casa donde yo tenía que vivir. Y el rey me lo concedió todo porque yo contaba con la bondadosa ayuda de mi Dios.
9 Cuando llegué ante los gobernadores al oeste del Éufrates, les entregué las cartas del rey, quien además había enviado conmigo una escolta de caballería al mando de jefes del ejército. 10 Pero cuando supieron esto Sambalat el de Horón y Tobías, el funcionario amonita, se disgustaron mucho porque había llegado alguien interesado en ayudar a los israelitas.
Proyecto de reconstrucción de la muralla
11 Llegué por fin a Jerusalén. Y a los tres días de estar allí, 12 me levanté de noche, acompañado de algunos hombres, pero sin decir a nadie lo que Dios me había inspirado hacer por Jerusalén. No llevaba yo más cabalgadura que la que montaba. 13 Aquella misma noche salí por la puerta del Valle en dirección a la fuente del Dragón y a la puerta del Basurero, e inspeccioné la muralla de Jerusalén, que estaba derrumbada y sus puertas quemadas. 14 Luego seguí hacia la puerta de la Fuente y el estanque del Rey; pero mi cabalgadura no podía pasar por allí. 15 Siendo todavía de noche, subí a lo largo del arroyo, y después de haber inspeccionado la muralla, regresé entrando por la puerta del Valle.
16 Los gobernantes no sabían a dónde había ido yo, ni lo que andaba haciendo. Tampoco había yo informado hasta entonces a los judíos, es decir, a los sacerdotes, nobles, gobernantes y demás personas que habían de participar en la obra. 17 Así que les dije:
—Ustedes saben bien que nos encontramos en una situación difícil, pues Jerusalén está en ruinas y sus puertas quemadas. Únanse a mí y reconstruyamos la muralla de Jerusalén, para que ya no seamos objeto de burla.
18 Y cuando les conté la forma tan bondadosa en que Dios me había ayudado y las palabras que me había dicho el rey, ellos respondieron:
—¡Comencemos la reconstrucción!
Y con muy buen espíritu se animaron unos a otros. 19 Pero cuando lo supieron Sambalat el de Horón, Tobías el funcionario amonita, y Guésem el árabe, se burlaron de nosotros y nos dijeron con desprecio:
—¿Qué se traen ustedes entre manos? ¿Acaso piensan rebelarse contra el rey?
20 Pero yo les contesté:
—El Dios del cielo nos dará el éxito. Nosotros, sus siervos, vamos a comenzar la reconstrucción, y ustedes no tienen parte, ni derecho, ni memoria en Jerusalén.
Nehemiah 2
New King James Version
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
2 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. 2 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, 3 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?”
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”
So I (G)prayed to the God of heaven. 5 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.”
6 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.
7 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, 8 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.
9 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
- Nehemiah 2:1 Artaxerxes Longimanus
- Nehemiah 2:2 Lit. very much
- Nehemiah 2:7 The Euphrates
- Nehemiah 2:8 palace
- Nehemiah 2:8 Lit. house
- Nehemiah 2:10 Lit. servant
- Nehemiah 2:13 Dung
- Nehemiah 2:13 examined
- Nehemiah 2:15 torrent valley, wadi
- Nehemiah 2:15 examined
- Nehemiah 2:17 desolate
- Nehemiah 2:18 Lit. strengthened
Nehemiah 2
King James Version
2 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.
2 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,
3 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?
4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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;
8 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.
9 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.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Dios habla hoy ®, © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 1966, 1970, 1979, 1983, 1996.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
