Nehemiah 2

1 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,

1 亚达薛西王二十年尼散月 ，酒呈到王面前后，我端起酒递给王。在王面前，我一向没有愁容。

2 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

2 王问我：“你没有病，为什么面带愁容？一定是心中烦恼。”我非常害怕。

3 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?”

3 我对王说：“愿王万岁！我祖坟所在的城邑已成废墟，城门也被烧毁，我怎能不面带愁容？”

4 “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven

4 王问我：“你有什么要求？”我向天上的上帝祷告后，

5 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.”

5 回答说：“如果王认为好，如果仆人在王面前蒙恩，请王派我到犹大，重建我祖坟所在的城邑。”

6 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.

6 当时王后坐在王的旁边，王问我：“你要去多久？什么时候回来？”我告诉王一个日期，王欣然批准我去。

7 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.

7 我又说：“如果王认为好，求王赐我诏书，通知河西总督准我通行前往犹大。

8 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.

8 求王再发一道诏书，通知管理王室园林的亚萨，吩咐他供给我木材，用来做圣殿堡垒的门梁及建造城墙和我住的房子。”王批准了我的请求，因为我的上帝施恩帮助我。

9 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.

9 王派将领率骑兵沿途护送我。到了河西总督那里，我把王的诏书交给他们。

10 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.

10 和伦人参巴拉和官长亚扪人多比雅听到有人来帮以色列人谋求好处，非常不悦。

11 After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,

11 我到了耶路撒冷，在那里住了三天，

12 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.

12 然后在夜间起来，带着几个人出去。上帝感动我要为耶路撒冷做的事，我没有告诉任何人。除了我骑的牲口外，我们没有带其他牲口。

13 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.

13 我乘夜穿过谷门，朝龙泉的方向走到粪厂门，在那里察看耶路撒冷倒塌的城墙和被烧毁的城门。

14 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;

14 我又往前走到泉门和王池，我骑的牲口无法通过那里，

15 so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

15 我就乘夜沿溪而上，察看城墙，然后转身取道谷门回城。

16 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.

16 官员不知道我到过哪里，做过何事，因为我还没有向犹太人、祭司、贵族、官员和其他要参与这工程的人透露我的计划。

17 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.”

17 后来我对他们说：“你们都看到了我们的困境。耶路撒冷已成废墟，城门也被烧毁。来吧，让我们重建耶路撒冷的城墙，免得我们再受凌辱。”

18 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.

18 然后，我把我的上帝怎样施恩帮助我，以及王对我说的话都告诉了他们。他们就说：“我们起来重建城墙吧！”于是他们开始做这善工。

19 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?”

19 但和伦人参巴拉和官长亚扪人多比雅，以及阿拉伯人基善听说后，就讥笑我们，藐视我们，说：“你们在做什么？想要背叛王吗？”

20 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.”

20 我回答他们说：“天上的上帝必使我们亨通，我们身为祂仆人，要起来重建这城墙，但你们在耶路撒冷无份、无权、无业。”