Nehemiah 2 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 2 ▼
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1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before his face, and I lifted up the wine and gave it to the king. And never had I been sad before his face. 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 said to me, “Why is your face sad, and you are not sick? This is nothing except but sorrow of heart.” And I feared very much, 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 I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad when the city, the place of the tombs of my fathers, is waste, and its gates have been consumed with the 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 said to me, “Upon what is this you are seeking?” And I prayed to the God of the heavens, 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 I said to the king, “If to the king it is good, and if your servant has found favor in your eyes, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of the tombs of my fathers, and I will rebuild 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 said to me, and the queen was sitting beside him, “Even to when will be your journey? And when will you return?” And it was good before the face of the king, and he sent me away, and I set for 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 I said to the king, “If it is good to the king, let letters be given to me for the governors beyond the River, that they let me pass over until that I come to Judah, 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 a letter to Asaph the keeper of the forest that is unto the king, that he give to me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel that is for the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will enter into.” And the king granted to me the good according to hand of my God upon 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 I went to the governors beyond the River, and I gave to them the letters of the king. And the king sent with me captains of a force, and horsemen. 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 And Sanballat the Horonite heard, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and they were disturbed exceedingly deeply that a man had come to seek the good of the sons 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 Jerusalem and was there three days. So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days
12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and I did not tell to a man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem, there was no beast with me for but the beast that I was riding upon. 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 went out through the Gate of the Valley by night, and to the front of the Well of the Serpent, and to the Gate of the Dunghill. And I was inspecting the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down, and its gates that had been 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 on to the Gate of the Fountain and to the Pool of the King, and there was no place for the beast under me to pass over. 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 And I went up by the valley by night, and I was inspecting the wall, and I turned back and came in through the Gate of the Valley, and I returned. 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 prefects did not know where I had gone or what I had done. And to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, even yet I had not told it. 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 And I said to them, “You⁺ see the distress that we are in—that Jerusalem is waste and its gates are burned with the fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may not be anymore a reproach.” 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 And I told them of the hand of my God that was good upon me, and also of the words of the king that he had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” And they strengthened their hands for 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 And Sanballat the Horonite heard of it, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab, and they laughed 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 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 And I returned to them word and said to them, “The God of the heavens, He will prosper us, and we His servants will arise and build. And you⁺ have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” 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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