Nehemiæ 2
1 factum est autem in mense nisan anno vicesimo Artarxersis regis et vinum erat ante eum et levavi vinum et dedi regi et non eram quasi languidus ante faciem eius
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
2 dixitque mihi rex quare vultus tuus tristis cum te aegrotum non videam non est hoc frustra sed malum nescio quid in corde tuo est et timui valde ac nimis
so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3 et dixi regi rex in aeternum vive quare non maereat vultus meus quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est et portae eius conbustae sunt igni
and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 et ait mihi rex pro qua re postulas et oravi Deum caeli
“What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
5 et dixi ad regem si videtur regi bonum et si placet servus tuus ante faciem tuam ut mittas me in Iudaeam ad civitatem sepulchri patris mei et aedificabo eam
and answered 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 where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 dixitque mihi rex et regina quae sedebat iuxta eum usque ad quod tempus erit iter tuum et quando reverteris et placuit ante vultum regis et misit me et constitui ei tempus
Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.
7 et dixi regi si regi videtur bonum epistulas det mihi ad duces regionis trans Flumen ut transducant me donec veniam in Iudaeam
I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8 et epistulam ad Asaph custodem saltus regis ut det mihi ligna et tegere possim portas turris domus et muri civitatis et domum quam ingressus fuero et dedit mihi rex iuxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9 et veni ad duces regionis trans Flumen dedique eis epistulas regis miserat autem mecum rex principes militum et equites
Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
10 et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites et Tobias servus ammanites et contristati sunt adflictione magna quod venisset homo qui quaereret prosperitatem filiorum Israhel
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites.
11 et veni Hierusalem et eram ibi diebus tribus
After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 et surrexi nocte ego et viri pauci mecum et non indicavi cuiquam quid Deus dedisset in corde meo ut facerem in Hierusalem et iumentum non erat mecum nisi animal cui sedebam
I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
13 et egressus sum per portam Vallis nocte et ante fontem Draconis et ad portam Stercoris et considerabam murum Hierusalem dissipatum et portas eius consumptas igni
So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 et transivi ad portam Fontis et ad aquaeductum Regis et non erat locus iumento cui sedebam ut transiret
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
15 et ascendi per torrentem nocte et considerabam murum et reversus veni ad portam Vallis et redii
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 magistratus autem nesciebant quo abissem aut quid ego facerem sed et Iudaeis et sacerdotibus et optimatibus et magistratibus et reliquis qui faciebant opus usque ad id locorum nihil indicaveram
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.
17 et dixi eis vos nostis adflictionem in qua sumus quia Hierusalem deserta est et portae eius consumptae sunt igni venite et aedificemus muros Hierusalem et non simus ultra obprobrium
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18 et indicavi eis manum Dei mei quod esset bona mecum et verba regis quae locutus est mihi et aio surgamus et aedificemus et confortatae sunt manus eorum in bono
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
19 audierunt autem Sanaballat Horonites et Tobias servus ammanites et Gosem Arabs et subsannaverunt nos et despexerunt dixeruntque quae est haec res quam facitis numquid contra regem vos rebellatis
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 et reddidi eis sermonem dixique ad eos Deus caeli ipse nos iuvat et nos servi eius sumus surgamus et aedificemus vobis autem non est pars et iustitia et memoria in Hierusalem
So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
