Nehemías 2
Catholic Public Domain Version
1Now it happened that, in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, wine was before him; and I lifted up the wine, and I gave it to the king. And I was like someone languishing before his face.
2And the king said to me: “Why is your expression sad, though you do not appear to be sick? This is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in your heart.” And I was struck with an exceedingly great fear.
3And I said to the king: “O king, live forever. Why should my expression not be mournful, since the city of the house of the sepulchers of my father is desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire?”
4And the king said to me: “What would you request?” And I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant is pleasing before your face: that you would send me into Judea, to the city of the sepulcher of my father. And I will rebuild it.”
6And the king said to me, with the queen who was sitting beside him: “Until what time will your journey be, and when will you return?” And it was pleasing before the countenance of the king, and so he sent me. And I established a time for him.
7And I said to the king: “If it seems good to the king, may he give me letters to the governors of the region beyond the river, so that they may lead me through, until I arrive in Judea,
8and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, so that he may give me timber, in order that I may be able to cover the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I will enter.” And the king granted to me in accord with the good hand of my God, who is with me.
9And I went to the governors of the region beyond the river, and I gave them the letters of the king. Now the king had sent with me military leaders and horsemen.
10And Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, heard this. And they were saddened, with a great affliction, that a man had arrived who was seeking the prosperity of the sons of Israel.
11And I arrived at Jerusalem, and I was there for three days.
12And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. And I did not reveal to anyone what God had placed in my heart to do in Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me, except the animal on which I was sitting.
13And I departed in the night through the gate of the valley, and before the fountain of the dragon, and toward the dung gate. And I considered the wall of Jerusalem, which was broken apart, and its gates, which had been consumed by fire.
14And I continued on to the gate of the fountain, and to the aqueduct of the king. And there was no room for the beast on which I was sitting to pass through.
15And so I climbed up in the night along the torrent, and I considered the wall. And turning back, I went by the gate of the valley, and I returned.
16Now the magistrates did not know where I had gone, or what I had done. For I had revealed nothing, even to that point in time, to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the others who were doing the work.
17And so I said to them: “You know the affliction in which we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates have been consumed by fire. Come, and let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and let us no longer be in disgrace.”
18And I revealed to them how the hand of my God was with me for good, and the words of the king, which he had spoken to me. And I said: “Let us rise up, and build.” And their hands were strengthened for good.
19But Sanballat, a Horonite, and the servant Tobiah, an Ammonite, and Geshem, an Arab, heard of it. And they ridiculed and disparaged us, and they said: “What is this thing that you are doing? Could you be rebelling against the king?”
20And I replied to them a word, and I said to them: “The God of heaven himself is helping us, and we are his servants. Let us rise up and build. But there is no portion, or justice, or remembrance in Jerusalem for you.”
Reina-Valera 1909
1Y FUÉ en el mes de Nisán, en el año veinte del rey Artajerjes, que estando ya el vino delante de él, tomé el vino, y dílo al rey. Y como yo no había estado antes triste en su presencia,
2Díjome el rey: ¿Por qué está triste tu rostro, pues no estás enfermo? No es esto sino quebranto de corazón. Entonces temí en gran manera.
3Y dije al rey: El rey viva para siempre. ¿Cómo no estará triste mi rostro, cuando la ciudad, casa de los sepulcros de mis padres, está desierta, y sus puertas consumidas del fuego?
4Y díjome el rey: ¿Qué cosa pides? Entonces oré al Dios de los cielos,
5Y dije al rey: Si al rey place, y si agrada tu siervo delante de ti, que me envíes á Judá, á la ciudad de los sepulcros de mis padres, y la reedificaré.
6Entonces el rey me dijo, (y la reina estaba sentada junto á él): ¿Hasta cuándo será tu viaje, y cuándo volverás? Y plugo al rey enviarme, después que yo le señalé tiempo.
7Además dije al rey: Si al rey place, dénseme cartas para los gobernadores de la otra parte del río, que me franqueen el paso hasta que llegue á Judá;
8Y carta para Asaph, guarda del bosque del rey, á fin que me dé madera para enmaderar los portales del palacio de la casa, y para el muro de la ciudad, y la casa donde entraré. Y otorgómelo el rey, según la benéfica mano de Jehová sobre mí.
9Y vine luego á los gobernadores de la otra parte del río, y les dí las cartas del rey. Y el rey envió conmigo capitanes del ejército y gente de á caballo.
10Y oyéndolo Sanballat Horonita, y Tobías, el siervo Ammonita, disgustóles en extremo que viniese alguno para procurar el bien de los hijos de Israel.
11Llegué pues á Jerusalem, y estado que hube allí tres días,
12Levantéme de noche, yo y unos pocos varones conmigo, y no declaré á hombre alguno lo que Dios había puesto en mi corazón que hiciese en Jerusalem; ni había bestia conmigo, excepto la cabalgadura en que cabalgaba.
13Y salí de noche por la puerta del Valle hacia la fuente del Dragón y á la puerta del Muladar; y consideré los muros de Jerusalem que estaban derribados, y sus puertas que estaban consumidas del fuego.
14Pasé luego á la puerta de la Fuente, y al estanque del Rey; mas no había lugar por donde pasase la cabalgadura en que iba.
15Y subí por el torrente de noche, y consideré el muro, y regresando entré por la puerta del Valle, y volvíme.
16Y no sabían los magistrados dónde yo había ido, ni qué había hecho; ni hasta entonces lo había yo declarado á los Judíos y sacerdotes, ni á los nobles y magistrados, ni á los demás que hacían la obra.
17Díjeles pues: Vosotros veis el mal en que estamos, que Jerusalem está desierta, y sus puertas consumidas del fuego: venid, y edifiquemos el muro de Jerusalem, y no seamos más en oprobio.
18Entonces les declaré cómo la mano de mi Dios era buena sobre mí, y asimismo las palabras del rey, que me había dicho. Y dijeron: Levantémonos, y edifiquemos. Así esforzaron sus manos para bien.
19Mas habiéndolo oído Samballat Horonita, y Tobías el siervo Ammonita, y Gesem el Arabe, escarnecieron de nosotros, y nos despreciaron, diciendo: ¿Qué es esto que hacéis vosotros? ¿os rebeláis contra el rey?
20Y volvíles respuesta, y díjeles: El Dios de los cielos, él nos prosperará, y nosotros sus siervos nos levantaremos y edificaremos: que vosotros no tenéis parte, ni derecho, ni memoria en Jerusalem.
King James Version
1And 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 unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
2Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
3And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
6And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
7Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
8And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained 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.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
13And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
14Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
15Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.
16And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I 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.
17Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
18Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
20Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
World English Bible
1In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, I picked up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad before in his presence.
2The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
4Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build it.”
6The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), “How long will your journey be? When will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him.
7Moreover I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah;
8and 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 citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
9Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me except the animal that I rode on.
13I went out by night by the valley gate toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate; and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
14Then I went on to the spring gate and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
15Then I went up in the night by the brook and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
16The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. 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 who did the work.
17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”
18I told them about the hand of my God which was good on me, and also about the king’s words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”
20Then I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”