尼希米記 2
1
亞達薛西王二十年、尼散月、在王面前擺酒、我拿起酒來奉給王。我素來在王面前沒有愁容。

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
王對我說、你既沒有病、為甚麼面帶愁容呢.這不是別的、必是你心中愁煩。於是我甚懼怕。

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
我對王說、願王萬歲.我列祖墳墓所在的那城荒涼、城門被火焚燒、我豈能面無愁容麼。

but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

4
王問我說、你要求甚麼。於是我默禱天上的 神。

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

5
我對王說、僕人若在王眼前蒙恩、王若喜歡、求王差遣我往猶大、到我列祖墳墓所在的那城去.我好重新建造。

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 fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

6
那時王后坐在王的旁邊。王問我說、你去要多少日子、幾時回來.我就定了日期.於是王喜歡差遣我去。

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
我又對王說、王若喜歡、求王賜我詔書、通知大河西的省長、准我經過、直到猶大.

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
又賜詔書、通知管理王園林的亞薩、使他給我木料、作屬殿營樓之門的橫梁、和城牆、與我自己房屋使用的.王就允准我、因我 神施恩的手幫助我。

And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, 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 upon me, the king granted my requests.

9
王派了軍長、和馬兵護送我。我到了河西的省長那裡、將王的詔書交給他們。

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
和倫人參巴拉、並為奴的亞捫人多比雅、聽見有人來為以色列人求好處、就甚惱怒。

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
我到了耶路撒冷、在那裡住了三日。

I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days

12
我夜間起來、有幾個人也一同起來.但 神使我心裡要為耶路撒冷作甚麼事、我並沒有告訴人.除了我騎的牲口以外、也沒有別的牲口在我那裡。

I set out during the night with a few men. 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
當夜我出了谷門、往野狗井去〔野狗或作龍〕、到了糞廠門、察看耶路撒冷的城牆、見城牆拆毀、城門被火焚燒。

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
我又往前、到了泉門、和王池.但所騎的牲口沒有地方過去。

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
於是夜間沿溪而上、察看城牆.又轉身、進入谷門、就回來了。

so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

16
我往那裡去、我作甚麼事、官長都不知道.我還沒有告訴猶大平民、祭司、貴冑、官長、和其餘作工的人。

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
以後、我對他們說、我們所遭的難、耶路撒冷怎樣荒涼、城門被火焚燒、你們都看見了.來罷、我們重建耶路撒冷的城牆、免得再受凌辱。

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
我告訴他們我 神施恩的手怎樣幫助我、並王對我所說的話.他們就說、我們起來建造罷。於是他們奮勇作這善工。

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

19
但和倫人參巴拉、並為奴的亞捫人多比雅、和亞拉伯人基善、聽見就嗤笑我們、藐視我們、說、你們作甚麼呢.要背叛王麼。

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
我回答他們說、天上的 神必使我們亨通.我們作他僕人的、要起來建造.你們卻在耶路撒冷無分、無權、無紀念。

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."