Nehemiah 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 After Nehemiah had obtained letters of Artaxerxes, 11 he came to Jerusalem, 17 and built the walls.
1 Now in the month [a]Nisan in the twentieth year of king [b]Artaxerxes, the wine stood before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I was not before time sad in his presence.
2 And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing, but sorrow of heart. Then was I sore afraid,
3 And I said to the King, God save the king forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city and house of the sepulchers of my fathers lieth waste, and the gates thereof are devoured with fire?
4 And the king said unto me, For what thing doest thou require? Then I prayed [c]to the God of heaven,
5 And said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, I desire that thou wouldest send me to Judah unto the city of the sepulchers of my fathers, that I may build it.
6 And the King said unto me, (the Queen also sitting by him:) How long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou come again? So it pleased the king, and he sent me, and I set him a time.
7 After I said unto the King, If it please the King, let them give me letters to the captains beyond the [d]River, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah,
8 And letters unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s [e]park, that he may give me timber to build the gates of the palace (which appertained to the house) and for the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king gave me according to [f]the good hand of my God upon me.
9 ¶ Then came I to the captains beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. And the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10 But [g]Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah a servant an Ammonite heard it, and it grieved them sore, that there was come a man which sought the wealth of the children of Israel.
11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 And I rose in the night, I, and a few men with me: for I told no man, what God had put in mine heart to do at Jerusalem, and there was not a beast with me, save the beast whereon I rode.
13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and came before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, how they were broken down, and the ports thereof devoured with the fire.
14 Then I went forth unto the gate of the [h]fountain, and to the king’s fish pool, and there was no room 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 coming back, I entered by the gate of the valley, and returned.
16 And the rulers knew not whither I was gone, nor what I did, neither did I as yet tell it unto the Jews, nor to the Priests, nor to the noble men, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that labored in the work.
17 Afterward I said unto them, Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come, and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more [i]a reproach.
18 Then I told them of the hand of my God, (which was good over me) and also of the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise, and build. So they [j]strengthened their hand to good.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant an Ammonite, and [k]Geshem the Arabian heard it, they mocked us, and despised us, and said, What a thing is this that ye do? Will ye [l]rebel against the king?
20 Then answered I them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us, and we his servants will rise up and build: but as for you, ye have no portion nor right, nor [m]memorial in Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:1 Which was the first month of the year, and containeth part of March and part of April.
- Nehemiah 2:1 Who is also called Darius, read Ezra 7:1, and was the son of Hystaspis.
- Nehemiah 2:4 I desired God in mine heart to prosper mine enterprise.
- Nehemiah 2:7 Or, Euphrates.
- Nehemiah 2:8 Or, Paradise.
- Nehemiah 2:8 As God moved me to ask, and as he gave me good success therein.
- Nehemiah 2:10 These were great enemies to the Jews, and labored always both by force and subtlety to overcome them, and Tobiah, because his wife was a Jewess, had advertisement ever of their affairs, and so wrought them great trouble.
- Nehemiah 2:14 Or, conduit.
- Nehemiah 2:17 That is, contemned of other nations, as though God had forsaken us.
- Nehemiah 2:18 They were encouraged, and gave themselves to do well, and to travel in this worthy enterprise.
- Nehemiah 2:19 These were three chief governors under the king of Persia beyond Euphrates.
- Nehemiah 2:19 Thus the wicked when they will burden the children of God, ever lay treason unto their charge, both because it maketh them most odious to the world, and also stirreth the hatred of princes most against them.
- Nehemiah 2:20 Neither are ye of the number of the children of God (to whom he hath appointed this city only) neither did any of your predecessors ever fear God.
Nehemiah 2
English Standard Version
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
2 In the month of Nisan, (A)in the twentieth year of King (B)Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, (C)I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but (D)sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, (E)“Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, (F)when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed (G)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, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” 6 And the king said to me ((H)the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me (I)when I had given him a time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me (J)to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of (K)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, (L)for the good hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls
9 Then I came to (M)the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when (N)Sanballat the Horonite and (O)Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
11 (P)So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by (Q)the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to (R)the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem (S)that were broken down (T)and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to (U)the Fountain Gate and to (V)the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night (W)by the valley and inspected the wall, and 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 was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, (X)how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer (Y)suffer derision.” 18 And I told them (Z)of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” (AA)So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and (AB)Geshem the Arab heard of it, (AC)they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? (AD)Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, (AE)“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim[a] in Jerusalem.”
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 2:20 Or memorial
Nehemja 2
Svenska 1917
2 I månaden Nisan, i Artasastas tjugonde regeringsår, vid ett tillfälle då vin stod framsatt för konungen, tog jag vinet och gav det åt honom. Och jag hade icke förr visat mig sorgsen inför honom;
2 men nu sade konungen till mig: »Varför ser du så sorgsen ut? Du är ju icke sjuk; du måste hava någon hjärtesorg.» Då blev jag övermåttan häpen.
3 Och jag sade till konungen: »Må konungen leva evinnerligen! Skulle jag icke se sorgsen ut, då den stad där mina fäders gravar äro ligger öde och dess portar äro förtärda av eld?»
4 Konungen sade till mig: »Vad är det då du begär?» Då bad jag en bön till himmelens Gud
5 och sade till konungen: »Om det så täckes konungen, och om du finner behag i din tjänare, så beder jag att du ville låta mig fara till Juda, till den stad där mina fäders gravar äro, på det att jag åter må bygga upp den.»
6 Då frågade konungen mig, allt under det att drottningen satt vid hans sida: »Huru länge kan din resa räcka, och när kan du komma tillbaka?» Då det nu alltså täcktes konungen att låta mig fara, uppgav jag för honom en bestämd tid.
7 Och jag sade till konungen: »Om det så täckes konungen, så må brev givas mig till ståthållarna i landet på andra sidan floden, att de låta mig fara därigenom, till dess jag kommer till Juda,
8 så ock ett brev till Asaf, uppsyningsmannen över den kungliga skogsparken, att han låter mig få virke för att därmed timra upp portarna till borgen som hör till templet, ävensom virke till stadsmuren, så ock till det hus där jag själv skall hava min bostad.» Och konungen beviljade mig detta, eftersom min Guds goda hand var över mig.
9 När jag så kom till ståthållarna i landet på andra sidan floden, gav jag dem konungens brev. Och konungen hade sänt med mig härhövitsmän och ryttare.
10 Men då horoniten Sanballat och Tobia, den ammonitiske tjänstemannen, hörde detta, förtröt det dem högeligen att någon hade kommit för att se Israels barn till godo.
11 När jag sedan hade kommit till Jerusalem och varit där i tre dagar,
12 stod jag upp om natten jämte några få män, utan att hava omtalat för någon människa vad min Gud ingav mig i hjärtat att göra för Jerusalem; och det djur som jag red på var det enda jag hade med mig.
13 Och jag drog om natten ut genom Dalporten fram emot Drakkällan och Dyngporten och besåg Jerusalems murar, huru de voro nedbrutna, och huru dess portar voro förtärda av eld.
14 Och jag drog vidare till Källporten och till Konungsdammen, men där var det icke möjligt för djuret att komma fram med mig.
15 Då begav jag mig uppför dalen om natten och besåg muren och vände sedan åter in genom Dalporten och kom så tillbaka.
16 Och föreståndarna hade icke fått veta vart jag hade gått, och vad jag ville göra, ty jag hade ännu icke omtalat något för judarna, prästerna, ädlingarna, föreståndarna och de övriga, som skulle få med arbetet att göra.
17 Men nu sade jag till dem: »I sen själva i vilken nöd vi äro, huru Jerusalem ligger öde, och huru dess portar äro uppbrända i eld. Välan då, låt oss bygga upp Jerusalems mur, för att vi icke längre må vara till smälek.»
18 Och jag omtalade för dem huru min Guds hand hade varit mig nådig, så ock vad konungen hade lovat mig. Då sade de: »Vi vilja stå upp och bygga.» Och de togo mod till sig för det goda verket.
19 Men när horoniten Sanballat och Tobia, den ammonitiske tjänstemannen, och araben Gesem hörde detta, bespottade de oss och visade förakt för oss; och de sade: »Vad är det I gören? Viljen I sätta eder upp mot konungen?»
20 Då gav jag dem detta svar: »Himmelens Gud skall låta det gå oss väl, och vi, hans tjänare, vilja stå upp och bygga; men I haven ingen del eller rätt eller åminnelse i Jerusalem.»
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
