Nehemiah 1:1–2:20
Septuagint (Brenton) compared with World English Bible (Masoretic-derived)
Full reading for Day 206
Nehemiah 1:1–2:20 · Psalm 87 (MT: 88) · Proverbs 21:25–26 · Acts 25:1–27
Showing Nehemiah 1:1 through 2:20
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Septuagint (Brenton)
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World English Bible
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1The words of Neemias the son of Chelcia. And it came to pass in the month Chaseleu, of the twentieth year, that I was in Susan the palace.
1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the palace,
2And Anani, one of my brethren, came, he and [some] men of Juda; and I asked them concerning those that had escaped, who had been left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
2Hanani, one of my brothers, came, he and certain men out of Judah; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3And they said to me, The remnant, [even] those that are left of the captivity, [are] there in the land, in great distress and reproach: and the walls of Jerusalem [are] thrown down, and its gates are burnt with fire.
3They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
4And it came to pass, when I heard these words, [that] I sat down and wept, and mourned for [several] days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5And I said, Nay, I pray thee, O Lord God of heaven, the mighty, the great and terrible, keeping thy covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to those that keep his commandments:
5and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
6let now thine ear be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee at this time, this day [both] day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and make confession for the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and the house of my fatherhave sinned.
6let your ear now be attentive and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants, while I confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
7We have altogether broken [covenant] with thee, and we have not kept the commandments, and the ordinances, and the judgments, which thou didst command thy servant Moses.
7We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8Remember, I pray thee, the word wherewith thou didst charge thy servant Moses, saying, If ye break covenant [with me], I will disperse you among the nations.
8“Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you among the peoples;
9But if ye turn again to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; if ye should be scattered under the utmost [bound] of heaven, thence will I gather them , and I will bring them into the place which I have chosento cause my name to dwell there.
9but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
10Now they [are] thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy great power, and with thy strong hand.
10“Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11[Turn] not [away], I pray thee, O Lord, but let thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and cause him to find mercy in the sight of this man.Now I was the king's cup -bearer .
11Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
1And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave [it] to the king: and there was not another before him.
1In 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.
2And the king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, and dost thou not control thyself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart.Then I was very much alarmed,
2The king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
3and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be said, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?
3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
4And the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus?So I prayed to the God of heaven.
4Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, and if thy servant shall have found favour in thy sight, [I ask] that [thou] wouldest send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.
5I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may build it.”
6And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me , For how long will thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? and [the proposal] was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time .
6The king said to me (the queen was also sitting by him), “How long will your journey be? When will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time for him.
7And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;
7Moreover I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah;
8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates , and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God [was upon me].
8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
9And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen .)
9Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
10And Sanaballat the Aronite heard [it], and Tobia the servant , the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.
10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, because a man had come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.
12I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There wasn’t any animal with me except the animal that I rode on.
13And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the dung -gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalemwhich they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.
13I went out by night by the valley gate toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate; and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
14And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me .
14Then I went on to the spring gate and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
15And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley , and returned.
15Then I went up in the night by the brook and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
16And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told [it] not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest [of the men] who wrought the works.
16The rulers didn’t know where I went, or what I did. I had not as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.
17Then I said to them, Ye see this evil, in which we are , how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.
17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”
18And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good [work].
18I told them about the hand of my God which was good on me, and also about the king’s words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let’s rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard [it], and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What [is] this thing that ye are doing? are ye revolting against the king?
19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they ridiculed us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”
20And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and wehis servants are pure, and we will build: but ye have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
20Then I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven will prosper us. Therefore we, his servants, will arise and build; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”