Nehemiah 2
1 And it came to pass, in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that, wine, was before him, —so I took up the wine, and gave unto the king, and I had never been sad before him.
Factum est autem in mense Nisan, anno vigesimo Artaxerxis regis: et vinum erat ante eum, et levavi vinum, et dedi regi: et eram quasi languidus ante faciem ejus.
2 Then said the king unto me, Wherefore is thy countenance sad, seeing that, thou, art not sick? this is nothing else, but sadness of heart. Then feared I exceedingly,
Dixitque mihi rex: Quare vultus tuus tristis est, cum te ægrotum non videam? non est hoc frustra, sed malum nescio quod in corde tuo est. Et timui valde, ac nimis:
3 and said unto the king—Let the, king, unto times age-abiding, live! Wherefore should my countenance, not be sad, when, the city—the place of the sepulchres of my fathers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
et dixi regi: Rex, in æternum vive: quare non mœreat vultus meus, quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est, et portæ ejus combustæ sunt igni?
4 Then the king said to me, Concerning what, is it, thou, wouldst make request? So I prayed unto the God of the heavens,
Et ait mihi rex: Pro qua re postulas? Et oravi Deum cæli,
5 and then said unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, and if thy servant might find favour before thee, That thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I might build it.
et dixi ad regem: Si videtur regi bonum, et si placet servus tuus ante faciem tuam, ut mittas me in Judæam ad civitatem sepulchri patris mei, et ædificabo eam.
6 And the king said unto me, the queen, also sitting beside him, For how long would be thy journey? and when wouldst thou return? So it seemed good before the king to send me, and I set him a time.
Dixitque mihi rex, et regina quæ sedebat juxta eum: Usque ad quod tempus erit iter tuum, et quando reverteris? Et placuit ante vultum regis, et misit me: et constitui ei tempus.
7 Then said I unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, may, letters, be given me, unto the pashas Beyond the River, —that they may convey me over, until I come into Judah;
Et dixi regi: Si regi videtur bonum, epistolas det mihi ad duces regionis trans flumen, ut traducant me, donec veniam in Judæam:
8 also a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the park that belongeth unto the king, that he may give me timber to build up the gates of the fortress which pertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house whereinto I shall enter. And the king gave me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
et epistolam ad Asaph custodem saltus regis, ut det mihi ligna, ut tegere possim portas turris domus, et muros civitatis, et domum quam ingressus fuero. Et dedit mihi rex juxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum.
9 Then came I unto the pashas Beyond the River, and gave them the letters of the king, —now the king, had sent with me, captains of the army, and horsemen.
Et veni ad duces regionis trans flumen, dedique eis epistolas regis. Miserat autem rex mecum principes militum, et equites.
10 And, when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, heard of it, it vexed them, with a great vexation, —that there had come a man, to seek welfare, for the sons of Israel.
Et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites, et Tobias servus Ammanites: et contristati sunt afflictione magna, quod venisset homo qui quæreret prosperitatem filiorum Israël.
11 So I entered Jerusalem, —and was there three days.
Et veni Jerusalem, et eram ibi tribus diebus.
12 Then rose I by night, I, and a few men with me, I having told no man, what, my God, had been putting in my heart, to do for Jerusalem, —and, beast, was there none with me, save the beast on which, I myself, was riding.
Et surrexi nocte ego, et viri pauci mecum, et non indicavi cuiquam quid Deus dedisset in corde meo ut facerem in Jerusalem: et jumentum non erat mecum, nisi animal cui sedebam.
13 So I went forth through the valley-gate by night, even unto the front of the snake-fountain, and into the dung-gate, —and I viewed the walls of Jerusalem, how, they, were broken down, and, the gates thereof, consumed with fire.
Et egressus sum per portam vallis nocte, et ante fontem draconis, et ad portam stercoris, et considerabam murum Jerusalem dissipatum, et portas ejus consumptas igni.
14 Then passed I over unto the fountain-gate, and unto the pool of the king, —but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
Et transivi ad portam fontis, et ad aquæductum regis, et non erat locus jumento cui sedebam ut transiret.
15 Then went I up in the torrent-bed, by night, and viewed the wall, —and turned back, and entered by the valley-gate, and so returned.
Et ascendi per torrentem nocte, et considerabam murum, et reversus veni ad portam vallis, et redii.
16 Now, the deputies, knew not whither I had gone, nor what I was doing, —not even to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the deputies, nor to the rest who were doing the work, had I as yet told it.
Magistratus autem nesciebant quo abiissem, aut quid ego facerem: sed et Judæis, et sacerdotibus, et optimatibus, et magistratibus, et reliquis qui faciebant opus, usque ad id loci nihil indicaveram.
17 So I said unto them, Ye, can see the misfortune that, we, are in, how that, Jerusalem, lieth waste, and, the gates thereof, are burned with fire: Come, and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may remain, no longer, a reproach.
Et dixi eis: Vos nostis afflictionem in qua sumus: quia Jerusalem deserta est, et portæ ejus consumptæ sunt igni: venite, et ædificemus muros Jerusalem, et non simus ultra opprobrium.
18 Then told I them, of the hand of my God, that, it, had been good upon me, as also of the words of the king, which he had spoken unto me, —so they said, We will arise and build! and they strengthened their hands right well.
Et indicavi eis manum Dei mei, quod esset bona mecum, et verba regis quæ locutus esset mihi, et aio: Surgamus, et ædificemus. Et confortatæ sunt manus eorum in bono.
19 But, when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed at us, and poured contempt upon us, —and said, What is this thing which ye would do? against the king, would ye rebel?
Audierunt autem Sanaballat Horonites, et Tobias servus Ammanites, et Gosem Arabs, et subsannaverunt nos, et despexerunt, dixeruntque: Quæ est hæc res quam facitis? numquid contra regem vos rebellatis?
20 Then answered I them, and said to them—The God of the heavens—he, will prosper us, therefore, we his servants, will arise and build, —But, to you, pertaineth no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
Et reddidi eis sermonem, dixique ad eos: Deus cæli ipse nos juvat, et nos servi ejus sumus: surgamus et ædificemus: vobis autem non est pars, et justitia, et memoria in Jerusalem.
