Nehemias obtaining commission from king Artaxerxes cometh to Jerusalem: 11. secretly vieweth the broken walls, and ruins of the city, 17. and exhorteth all the Jews to the reedifying thereof.Nehemias obtaining commißion from king Artaxerxes cometh to Ierusalem: 11. secretly vieweth the broken walles, and ruines of the citie, 17. and exhorteth al the Iewes to the reedifying therof.✦
And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king: and there was wine before him, and I lifted up the wine, and gave to the king: and I was as it were languidus: pining; faint, sickly before his face.AND it came to passe in the moneth of Nisan, the twentith yeare of Artaxerxes the king: and there was wine before him, and I lifted vp the wine, and gaue to the king: and I was as it were languishing before his face.✦Factum est autem in mense Nisan, anno vigesimo Artaxerxis regis : et vinum erat ante eum, et levavi vinum, et dedi regi : et eram quasi languidus ante faciem ejus.
2And the king said to me: Why is thy countenance sad, whereas I do not see thee sick? this is not without cause, but some evil I know not what, is in thy heart. And I was very much and exceedingly afraid:And the king sayd to me: Why is thy countenance sad, whereas I doe not see thee sicke? this is not without cause, but some euil I know not what, is in thy hart. And I was very much and excedingly afrayd:✦Dixitque mihi rex : Quare vultus tuus tristis est, cum te ægrotum non videam ? non est hoc frustra, sed malum nescio quod in corde tuo est. Et timui valde, ac nimis :
3and I said to the king: O king for ever mayst thou live: why should not my countenance be heavy, because the city of the house of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire?and I sayd to the king: O king for euer mayst thou liue: why should not my countenance be heauie, because the citie of the house of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate, and the gates therof are burnt with fire?✦et dixi regi : Rex, in æternum vive : quare non mœreat vultus meus, quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est, et portæ ejus combustæ sunt igni ?
4And the king said to me: For what thing makest thou request? And I prayed the God of heaven,And the king sayd to me: For what thing makest thou request? And I prayed the God of heauen,✦Et ait mihi rex : Pro qua re postulas ? Et oravi Deum cæli,
5and I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant do please before thy face, thou send me into Jewry to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build it.and I sayd to the king: If it seme good to the king, and if thy seruant do please before thy face, thou send me into Iewrie to the citie of the sepulchre of my father, and I wil build it.et dixi ad regem : Si videtur regi bonum, et si placet servus tuus ante faciem tuam, ut mittas me in Judæam ad civitatem sepulchri patris mei, et ædificabo eam.
6And the king said to me, and the Queen that sate by him: Unto what time will thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased before the king, and he sent me: and I appointed him a time.And the king sayd to me, and the Queene that sate by him: Vnto what time wil thy iourney be, and when wilt thou returne? And it pleased before the king, and he sent me: and I appoynted him a time.✦Dixitque mihi rex, et regina quæ sedebat juxta eum : Usque ad quod tempus erit iter tuum, et quando reverteris ? Et placuit ante vultum regis, et misit me : et constitui ei tempus.
7And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, let him give me letters to the governours of the country beyond the River, that they conduct me, till I come into Jewry:And I sayd to the king: If it seme good to the king, let him geue me letters to the gouernours of the country beyond the Riuer, that they conduct me, til I come into Iewrie:✦Et dixi regi : Si regi videtur bonum, epistolas det mihi ad duces regionis trans flumen, ut traducant me, donec veniam in Judæam :
8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the kings forest, to give me timber that I may tegere: conceal; roof over, put a covering upon the gates of the tower of the house, and the walls of the city, and the house that I shall enter into: And the king gave according to the good hand of my God with me.and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the kings forest, to geue me timber that I may couer the gates of the towre of the house, and the walles of the citie, and the house that I shal enter into: And the king gaue according to the good hand of my God with me.✦et epistolam ad Asaph custodem saltus regis, ut det mihi ligna, ut tegere possim portas turris domus, et muros civitatis, et domum quam ingressus fuero. Et dedit mihi rex juxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum.
9And I came to the dukes of the country beyond the River, and gave them the kings letters. And the king had sent with me captains of soldiers, and horsemen.And I came to the dukes of the countrie beyond the Riuer, and gaue them the kings letters. And the king had sent with me captaynes of soldiers, and horsemen.Et veni ad duces regionis trans flumen, dedique eis epistolas regis. Miserat autem rex mecum principes militum, et equites.
10And Sanaballat an Horonite, and Tobias a servant an Ammonite heard it, and were grieved with great affliction, that a man was come, which sought the prosperity of the children of Israel.And Sanaballat an Horonite, and Tobias a seruant an Ammonite heard it, and were greiued with great affliction, that a man was come, which sought the prosperitie of the children of Israel.Et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites, et Tobias servus Ammanites : et contristati sunt afflictione magna, quod venisset homo qui quæreret prosperitatem filiorum Israël.
11And I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.And I came to Ierusalem and was there three dayes.✦Et veni Jerusalem, et eram ibi tribus diebus.
12and I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and I told not any man what God had put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and there was no beast with me, but the beast whereon I sate.and I arose in the night, I and a few men with me, and I told not anie man what God had put in my hart to doe in Ierusalem, and there was no beast with me, but the beast wheron I sate.✦Et surrexi nocte ego, et viri pauci mecum, et non indicavi cuiquam quid Deus dedisset in corde meo ut facerem in Jerusalem : et jumentum non erat mecum, nisi animal cui sedebam.
13And I went out by the gate of the valley by night, and before the fountain of the dragon, and to the gate of the dung, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem broken down, and the gates thereof consumed with fire.And I went out by the gate of the valley by night, and before the fountayne of the dragon, and to the gate of the dung, and I viewed the wal of Ierusalem broken downe, and the gates therof consumed with fire.✦Et egressus sum per portam vallis nocte, et ante fontem draconis, et ad portam stercoris, et considerabam murum Jerusalem dissipatum, et portas ejus consumptas igni.
14And I passed to the gate of the fountain, and to the kings aquæductum: aqueduct, water-channel, and there was no place for the beast whereon I sat, to pass.And I passed to the gate of the fountayne, and to the kinges conduite, and there was no place for the beast where on I sat, to passe.✦Et transivi ad portam fontis, et ad aquæductum regis, et non erat locus jumento cui sedebam ut transiret.
15And I went up by the torrent in the night, and viewed the wall, and going back I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.And I went vp by the torrent in the night, and viewed the wal, and going backe I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.✦Et ascendi per torrentem nocte, et considerabam murum, et reversus veni ad portam vallis, et redii.
16But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: yea and to the Jews, and the Priests, and the nobles, and the magistrates, and the rest that did the work until then I had shewed nothing.But the magistrastes knew not whither I went, or what I did: yea and to the Iewes, and the Priestes, and the nobles, and the magistrates, and the rest that did the worke vntil then I had shewed nothing.✦Magistratus autem nesciebant quo abiissem, aut quid ego facerem : sed et Judæis, et sacerdotibus, et optimatibus, et magistratibus, et reliquis qui faciebant opus, usque ad id loci nihil indicaveram.
17And I said to them: You know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is made desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: Come, and let us build the walls of Jerusalem, and let us be no longer a reproach.And I sayd to them: You know the affliction wherin we are, because Ierusalem is made desolate, and the gates therof are consumed with fire: Come, and let vs build the walles of Ierusalem, and let vs be no longer a reproch.Et dixi eis : Vos nostis afflictionem in qua sumus : quia Jerusalem deserta est, et portæ ejus consumptæ sunt igni : venite, et ædificemus muros Jerusalem, et non simus ultra opprobrium.
18And I shewed them the hand of my God, that it was good with me, and the kings words, which he had spoken to me, and I said: Let us rise, and let us build. And their hands were encouraged in good.And I shewed them the hand of my God, that it was good with me, and the kings wordes, which he had spoken to me, and I sayd: Let vs rise, and let vs build. And their handes were incouraged in good.✦Et indicavi eis manum Dei mei, quod esset bona mecum, et verba regis quæ locutus esset mihi, et aio : Surgamus, et ædificemus. Et confortatæ sunt manus eorum in bono.
19But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant an Ammonite, and Gosem an Arabian heard of it, and they scorned us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing, that you do? Why do you rebel against the king?But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the seruant an Ammanite, and Gosem an Arabian heard of it, and they scorned vs, and despysed vs, and sayd: What is this thing, that you doe? Why do you rebel against the king?✦Audierunt autem Sanaballat Horonites, et Tobias servus Ammanites, et Gosem Arabs, et subsannaverunt nos, et despexerunt, dixeruntque : Quæ est hæc res quam facitis ? numquid contra regem vos rebellatis ?
20And I answered them, and said to them: The God of heaven he helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor memory in Jerusalem.And I answered them, and sayd to them: The God of heauen he helpeth vs, and we are his seruants: let vs rise and build: but you haue no part, nor iustice, nor memorie in Ierusalem.✦Et reddidi eis sermonem, dixique ad eos : Deus cæli ipse nos juvat, et nos servi ejus sumus : surgamus et ædificemus : vobis autem non est pars, et justitia, et memoria in Jerusalem.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.