Nehemiah Sent to Judah

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. 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. 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?”

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Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

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, 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 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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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:1 = March–April; called Abib in the pre-exilic period; Ex 13:4; Dt 16:1
  2. Nehemiah 2:2 Lit Why is your face
  3. Nehemiah 2:2 Lit sadness of heart
  4. Nehemiah 2:3 Lit my face