Nehemiah 2 - New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

2 And it came about in the month Nisan, (A)in the twentieth year of King (B)Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and (C)I picked up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? (D)This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 And I said to the king, “(E)May the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad (F)when the city, the [a]site of my fathers’ tombs, is desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “[b]What would you request?” (G)So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, I request that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6 Then the king said to me, with the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and (H)I gave him a definite time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me (I)for the governors of the provinces beyond the River, so that they will allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s (J)forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of (K)the citadel which is by the [c]temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because (L)the good hand of my God was on me.

9 Then I came to (M)the governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. Now (N)the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 And when (O)Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite [d]official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

11 So I (P)came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12 And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my [e]mind to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by (Q)the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Spring and on to the Dung Gate, and I was inspecting the walls of Jerusalem (R)which were broken down and its (S)gates which had been consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to (T)the Fountain Gate and (U)the King’s Pool, but there was no place for [f]my mount to pass. 15 So I was going up at night by the (V)ravine and inspecting the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 However, the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that (W)Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burned by fire. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let’s arise and build.” (X)So they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite [g]official, and (Y)Geshem the Arab heard about it, (Z)they mocked us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? (AA)Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, “(AB)The God of heaven will make us successful; therefore we His servants will arise and build, (AC)but you have no part, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:3 Lit house
  2. Nehemiah 2:4 Lit For what is this you
  3. Nehemiah 2:8 Lit house
  4. Nehemiah 2:10 Lit servant
  5. Nehemiah 2:12 Lit heart
  6. Nehemiah 2:14 Lit the animal under me
  7. Nehemiah 2:19 Lit servant

Cross references

  1. Nehemiah 2:1 : Neh 1:1
  2. Nehemiah 2:1 : Ezra 7:1
  3. Nehemiah 2:1 : Neh 1:11
  4. Nehemiah 2:2 : Prov 15:13
  5. Nehemiah 2:3 : Dan 2:4
  6. Nehemiah 2:3 : 2 Kin 25:8-10; 2 Chr 36:19; Neh 1:3; Jer 52:12-14
  7. Nehemiah 2:4 : Neh 1:4
  8. Nehemiah 2:6 : Neh 13:6
  9. Nehemiah 2:7 : Ezra 7:21; 8:36
  10. Nehemiah 2:8 : Eccl 2:5, 6
  11. Nehemiah 2:8 : Neh 7:2
  12. Nehemiah 2:8 : Ezra 7:6; Neh 2:18
  13. Nehemiah 2:9 : Neh 2:7
  14. Nehemiah 2:9 : Ezra 8:22
  15. Nehemiah 2:10 : Neh 2:19; 4:1
  16. Nehemiah 2:11 : Ezra 8:32
  17. Nehemiah 2:13 : Neh 3:13
  18. Nehemiah 2:13 : Neh 1:3
  19. Nehemiah 2:13 : Neh 2:3, 17
  20. Nehemiah 2:14 : Neh 3:15
  21. Nehemiah 2:14 : 2 Kin 20:20
  22. Nehemiah 2:15 : John 18:1
  23. Nehemiah 2:17 : Neh 1:3
  24. Nehemiah 2:18 : 2 Sam 2:7
  25. Nehemiah 2:19 : Neh 6:6
  26. Nehemiah 2:19 : Neh 4:1
  27. Nehemiah 2:19 : Neh 6:6
  28. Nehemiah 2:20 : Ezra 4:3
  29. Nehemiah 2:20 : Neh 2:4; Acts 8:21

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Nehemiah 2 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

2 And it was done in the month of Nisan, that is, April, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes, the king, and wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and I gave it to the king, and I was as languishing before his face. 2 And the king said to me, Why is thy cheer sorry, or heavy, since I see not t...
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Nehemiah 2 - World English Bible (WEB)

2 In 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. 2 The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart....
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Nehemiah 2 - The Voice (VOICE)

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Nehemiah 2 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

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Nehemiah 2 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Nehemiah Sent to Judah2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Ar-ta-xerx′es, 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. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing else b...
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Nehemiah 2 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Nehemiah Sent to Judah2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Ar-ta-xerx′es, 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. 2 And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing else b...
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Nehemiah 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Nehemiah Sent to Judah2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only ...
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Nehemiah 2 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Nehemiah Sent to Judah2 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before.(A)2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be...
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Nehemiah 2 - New Living Translation (NLT)

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Nehemiah 2 - New Life Version (NLV)

The King Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem2 In the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, wine was in front of him. And I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in front of him before. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face so sad when you are not sick? It m...
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Nehemiah 2 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Nehemiah Sent to Judah2 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of (A)King [a]Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that (B)I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, sinc...
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Nehemiah 2 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

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Nehemiah 2 - New International Version (NIV)

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) 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 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? ...
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Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem2 Wine was brought in for King Artaxerxes. It was the month of Nisan in the 20th year of his rule. I got the wine and gave it to him. I hadn’t been sad in front of him before. But now I was. 2 So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You aren’t sick. ...
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Nehemiah 2 - New English Translation (NET)

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