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 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。

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。

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，我豈能面無愁容嗎？」

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

4 王問我說：「你要求甚麼？」於是我默禱天上的上帝。

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 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。」

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 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。

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；

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 又賜詔書，通知管理王園林的亞薩，使他給我木料，做屬殿營樓之門的橫樑和城牆，與我自己房屋使用的。」王就允准我，因我上帝施恩的手幫助我。

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 王派了軍長和馬兵護送我。我到了河西的省長那裏，將王的詔書交給他們。

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。

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

11 我到了耶路撒冷，在那裏住了三日。

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 我夜間起來，有幾個人也一同起來；但上帝使我心裏要為耶路撒冷做甚麼事，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裏。

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 當夜我出了谷門，往野狗井去 ，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。

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，到了泉門和王池，但所騎的牲口沒有地方過去。

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

15 於是夜間沿溪而上，察看城牆，又轉身進入谷門，就回來了。

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 我往哪裏去，我做甚麼事，官長都不知道。我還沒有告訴猶大平民、祭司、貴冑、官長，和其餘做工的人。

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 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。來吧，我們重建耶路撒冷的城牆，免得再受凌辱！」

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 我告訴他們我上帝施恩的手怎樣幫助我，並王對我所說的話。他們就說：「我們起來建造吧！」於是他們奮勇做這善工。

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 但和倫人參巴拉，並為奴的亞捫人多比雅和阿拉伯人基善聽見就嗤笑我們，藐視我們，說：「你們做甚麼呢？要背叛王嗎？」

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 我回答他們說：「天上的上帝必使我們亨通。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。」