Nehemiah 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 2 ▼
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BISHOPS
Bishops' Bible of 1568
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
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1 It came to passe, that in the moneth Nisan in the twentith yere of king Arthaxerxes, the wine stoode before him: and I toke vp the wine, and gaue it vnto the king: And I had not ben before heauy in his presence. In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before,
2 And the king sayde vnto me: Why lokest thou so sadly, seyng thou art not sicke? It is nothing els, but that thou art heauy hearted. And I was sore afrayde, And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid,
3 And sayde vnto the king, God saue the king for euer: Howe shoulde I not loke sadly, when the citie and place of my fathers burials lye waste, and the gates therof are consumed with fire? I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 And the king sayde vnto me: What is then thy request? I made my prayer also to the God of heauen, Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,
5 And sayd vnto the king: If it please the king, and if thy seruaunt haue founde fauour in thy sight, sende me vnto Iuda vnto the citie of my fathers burialles, that I may buylde it. 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.” and 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.”
6 And the king sayd vnto me (the queene his wyfe sitting by him:) Howe long shal thy iourney continue, and when wilt thou come againe? And it pleased the king to sende me, and I set him a time, And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. Then the king, 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.
7 And sayde vnto the king: If it please the king, let hym geue me letters to the captaynes whiche are beyonde the water, that they may conuay me ouer, till I come into Iuda: And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?
8 And letters vnto Asaph the lorde of the kinges wood, that he may geue me timber to make beames for the gates of the palace which is harde by the house, and for the walles of the citie, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king gaue me according to the hande of my God which was good vpon me. 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 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, for the good hand of my God was upon me. And 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 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, the king granted my requests.
9 And when I came to the captaynes beyonde the water, I gaue them the kinges letters: And the king had sent captaynes of the armie and horsemen with me. Then I came to 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. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10 Sanaballat also the Horonite, and Tobia a seruaunt the Ammonite hearde of it, & it greeued them sore, that there was come a man which sought the wealth of the children of Israel. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
11 And I came to Hierusalem, and was there three dayes, So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days
12 And I gat me vp in the night season, and a fewe men with me, neither tolde I any man what God had geuen me in my heart to do at Hierusalem: and there was not one beast with me, saue it that I rode vpon. 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. I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
13 And I departed in the night by the valley port, before the dragon well, and to the doung port, & considered the walles of Hierusalem howe they were broken downe, and the portes therof consumed with the fire. I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14 And I went ouer vnto the well port, and to the kinges conduite, and there was no roome for the beast that was vnder me to passe. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;
15 Then went I on in the night by the brooke side, and considered the wall, and turned backe, and came home againe by the valley port. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 And the rulers knewe not whyther I went or what I dyd: neither dyd I as yet tel it vnto the Iewes, to the priestes, to the noble men, to the rulers, and to the other that laboured in the worke. 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. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
17 Afterwarde sayde I vnto them: Ye see the miserie that we are in, howe Hierusalem lyeth waste, and howe the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come therefore, and let vs buylde vp the wall of Hierusalem, and that we be no more a rebuke. Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”
18 Then I tolde them of the hand of my God that it was gratious ouer me, and the kinges wordes that he had spoken vnto me: And they sayde, Let vs get vp and buylde. And they strengthed their handes to good. And I told them 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.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
19 But when Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobia the seruaunt an Ammonite, and Gesem the Arabian hearde it, they laughed vs to scorne, & despised vs, and sayde: What is this that ye do? Will ye fall away from the king? But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 Then aunswered I them, and sayde: The God of heauen, he it is that hath graunted vs prosperitie, and we his seruauntes will get vp and buylde: As for you, ye haue no portion, nor right, nor remembraunce in Hierusalem. The number of them that buylded the walles. Then I replied to them, “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 in Jerusalem.” I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”
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