New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King [a]Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

1

Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

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 to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence.

2

Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.”
So I became [b]dreadfully afraid,

2

And the king said to me, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sadness of heart. And I was very sore afraid.

3

and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”

3

And I said to the king, Let the king live for ever! Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?

4

Then the king said to me, “What do you request?”
So I prayed to the God of heaven.

4

And the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of the heavens.

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.”

5

And I said to the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build 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 a time.

6

And the king said to me -- the queen also sitting by him, -- For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

7

Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond [c]the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,

7

And I said to the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may set me forward till I come into 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 to the [e]temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

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 the palace which [appertains] 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 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.

9

And I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of a force and horsemen with me.

10

When 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.

10

And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, heard [of it], it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

11

Nehemiah Views the Wall of Jerusalem

So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

11

Nehemiah Inspects the Walls

And I 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.

12

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me -- but I told no man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem -- and there was no beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon.

13

And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the [g]Refuse Gate, and [h]viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire.

13

And I went out by night by the valley-gate, even toward the jackal-fountain, and to the dung-gate; and I viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were in ruins, and its gates were consumed with fire.

14

Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.

14

And I went on to the fountain-gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no place for the beast under me to pass.

15

So I went up in the night by the valley,[i] and [j]viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.

15

And I went up in the night through the valley, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the valley-gate and 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.

16

And the rulers did not know whither I went or what I did, for I had not 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 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 a reproach.”

17

And I said to them, Ye see the distress that we are in, that Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

18

And I told them of 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 set[l] their hands to this good work.

18

And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me; as also of the king's words which he had said unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. And they strengthened their hands for the 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? Will you rebel against the king?”

19

And Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it; and they mocked us and despised us, and said, What is this thing which ye do? will ye 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, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

20

And I answered them, and said to them, The God of the heavens, he will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

Parallel

New King James Version

Darby Bible Translation

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah 2