Nehemiah 2

Thomson · Brenton · Greek · public domain

Thomson 1808

Brenton 1851

Greek · Brenton

ThomsonNOW I was the king’s butler, and in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, the wine being before me, I took the wine, and when I had given it to the king (now there was none besides me in waiting)

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ ἐγένετο ἐν μηνὶ Νισὰν ἔτους εἰκοστοῦ Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἦν ὁ οἶνος ἐνώπιον ἐμοῦ· καὶ ἔλαβον τὸν οἶνον, καὶ ἔδωκα τῷ βασιλεῖ· καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἕτερος ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.

Thomsonthe king said to me, Why is thy countenance sad, and thou not at thine ease? this is nothing but grief of heart. At this I was greatly terrified

BrentonAnd 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,

GreekΚαὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς, διὰ τί τὸ πρόσωπόν σου πονηρὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶ μετριάζων; καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, εἰ μὴ πονηρία καρδίας· καὶ ἐφοβήθην πολὺ σφόδρα,

Thomsonand said to the king, Let the king live forever! Why should not my countenance be sad, seeing the city, the house of my father’s sepulchre, is in a state of desolation, and the gates thereof burned with fire?

Brentonand I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, 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?

Greekκαὶ εἶπα τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ζήτω· διὰ τί οὐ μὴ γένηται πονηρὸν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, διότι ἡ πόλις οἶκος μνημείων πατέρων μου ἠρημώθη, καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς κατεβρώθησαν ἐν πυρί;

ThomsonThereupon the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? And when I had prayed to the God of heaven,

BrentonAnd the king said to me, For what dost thou ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ βασιλεύς, περὶ τίνος τοῦτο σὺ ζητεῖς; καὶ προσηυξάμην πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ,

ThomsonI said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, and if thy servant shall find favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me to Juda to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, and let me rebuild it.

BrentonAnd 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.

Greekκαὶ εἶπα τῷ βασιλεῖ, εἰ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἀγαθὸν, καὶ εἰ ἀγαθυνθήσεται ὁ παῖς σου ἐνώπιόν σοῦ, ὥστε πέμψαι αὐτὸν ἐν Ἰούδα εἰς πόλιν μνημείων πατέρων μου, καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω αὐτήν.

ThomsonUpon this the king said to me (now his concubine was sitting by him), For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? So the king being pleased to send me, I set him a time

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἡ παλλακὴ ἡ καθημένη ἐχόμενα αὐτοῦ, ἕως πότε ἔσται ἡ πορεία σου, καὶ πότε ἐπιστρέψεις; καὶ ἠγαθύνθη ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπέστειλέ με, καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτῷ ὅρον.

Thomsonand said to the king, If it seemeth good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, that they may conduct me on in my journey till I come to Juda;

BrentonAnd 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;

GreekΚαὶ εἶπα τῷ βασιλεῖ, εἰ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ἀγαθὸν, δότω μοι ἐπιστολὰς πρὸς τοὺς ἐπάρχους πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ὥστε παραγαγεῖν με ἕως ἔλθω ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν,

Thomsonand a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may supply me with timber to cover the gates and for the wall of the city, and for a house to which I may go. So the king gave me, as the hand of God was favourable,

Brentonand 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.

Greekκαὶ ἐπιστολὴν ἐπὶ Ἀσὰφ φύλακα τοῦ παραδείσου ὅς ἐστι τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὥστε δοῦναί μοι ξύλα στεγάσαι τὰς πύλας, καὶ εἰς τὸ τεῖχος τῆς πόλεως, καὶ εἰς οἶκον ὃν εἰσελεύσομαι εἰς αὐτόν· καὶ ἔδωκέ μοι ὁ βασιλεὺς ὡς χεὶρ Θεοῦ ἡ ἀγαθή.

Thomsonand I came to the governors beyond the river, and delivered them the king’s letters. Now the king sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.

BrentonAnd 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.)

GreekΚαὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τοὺς ἐπάρχους πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτοῖς τὰς ἐπιστολὰς τοῦ βασιλέως· καὶ ἀπέστειλε μετʼ ἐμοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀρχηγοὺς δυνάμεως καὶ ἱππεῖς.

ThomsonBut when Sanaballat the Aronite and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, heard this, it grieved them that a man was come to promote the welfare of the children of Israel.

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ ἤκουσε Σαναβαλλὰτ ὁ Ἀρωνὶ, καὶ Τωβία ὁ δοῦλος Ἀμμωνὶ, καὶ πονηρὸν αὐτοῖς ἐγένετο, ὅτι ἥκει ὁ ἄνθρωπος ζητῆσαι ἀγαθὸν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ.

ThomsonNow when I came to Jerusalem and had been there three days,

BrentonSo I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

GreekΚαὶ ἦλθον εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἤμην ἐκεῖ ἡμέρας τρεῖς.

ThomsonI arose by night, I and a few men with me, but I did not tell a man what God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; and there was not a beast with me but that on which I rode;

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ ἀνέστην νυκτὸς ἐγὼ καὶ ἄνδρες ὀλίγοι μετʼ ἐμοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀπήγγειλα ἀνθρώπῳ τί ὁ Θεὸς δίδωσιν εἰς καρδίαν μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι μετὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ κτῆνος οὐκ ἔστι μετʼ ἐμοῦ, εἰ μὴ τὸ κτῆνος ᾧ ἐγὼ ἐπιβαίνω ἐπʼ αὐτῷ.

Thomsonand I went out at the gate Golela on to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and on to the dung-gate, tracing the wall of Jerusalem which had been demolished, and the gates of which were burned with fire.

BrentonAnd 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 Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.

GreekΚαὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐν πύλῃ τοῦ γωληλὰ, καὶ πρὸς στόμα πηγῆς τῶν συκῶν, καὶ εἰς πύλην τῆς κοπρίας· καὶ ἤμην συντρίβων ἐν τῷ τείχει Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὃ αὐτοὶ καθαιροῦσι, καὶ πύλαι αὐτῆς κατεβρώθησαν πυρί.

ThomsonThen I passed on to the gate of Ain and to the king’s pool. But there being no place for the beast under me to pass,

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ παρῆλθον ἐπὶ πύλην τοῦ αῒν, καὶ εἰς κολυμβήθραν τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ οὐκ ἦν τόπος τῷ κτήνει παρελθεῖν ὑποκάτω μου.

ThomsonI continued going up by night along the wall of the valley. And having hastily traced the wall, and come to the valley gate, I returned.

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ ἤμην ἀναβαίνων ἐν τῷ τείχει χειμάῤῥου νυκτός, καὶ ἤμην συντρίβων ἐν τῷ τείχει, καὶ ἤμην ἐν πύλῃ τῆς φάραγγος, καὶ ἐπέστρεψα.

ThomsonNow the watchmen did not know why I went nor what I was doing; for I had not yet told the Jews, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the officers of the army, nor the rest who were to do the work.

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ οἱ φυλάσσοντες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τί ἐπορεύθην, καὶ τί ἐγὼ ποιῶ· καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι, καὶ τοῖς ἐντίμοις, καὶ τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, καὶ τοῖς καταλοίποις τοῖς ποιοῦσι τὰ ἔργα, ἕως τότε οὐκ ἀπήγγειλα.

ThomsonThen I said to them, You see the distress in which we are! How Jerusalem is a waste, and the gates thereof have been given to the flames. Come, let us build up the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.

BrentonThen 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.

GreekΚαὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὑμεῖς βλέπετε τὴν πονηρίαν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ ἐσμὲν ἐν αὐτῇ, πῶς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔρημος, καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς ἐδόθησαν πυρί· δεῦτε, καὶ διοικοδομήσωμεν τὸ τεῖχος Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ οὐκ ἐσόμεθα ἔτι ὄνειδος.

ThomsonAnd when I told them of the good hand of God which was upon me, and the words which the king spoke to me, and said, Let us arise and build; their hands were strengthened for this good work.

BrentonAnd 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.

GreekΚαὶ ἀπήγγειλα αὐτοῖς τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾗ ἐστιν ἀγαθὴ ἐπʼ ἐμὲ, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς λόγους τοῦ βασιλέως οὓς εἶπέ μοι· καὶ εἶπα, ἀναστῶμεν, καὶ οἰκοδομήσωμεν· καὶ ἐκραταιώθησαν αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν.

ThomsonBut when Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant the Ammonite and Gesem the Arab heard, they laughed at us, and came to us and said, What is this which you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the king?

BrentonAnd 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?

GreekΚαὶ ἤκουσε Σαναβαλλὰτ ὁ Ἀρωνὶ, καὶ Τωβία ὁ δοῦλος ὁ Ἀμμωνὶ, καὶ Γησὰμ ὁ Ἀραβί, καὶ ἐξεγέλασαν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἦλθον ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ εἶπον, τί τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὃ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε; ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα ὑμεῖς ἀποστατεῖτε;

ThomsonIn reply to which I said, The God of heaven will prosper us, as we His servants are pure and will go on with the building; but you have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

BrentonAnd I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but ye have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

GreekΚαὶ ἐπέστρεψα αὐτοῖς λόγον, καὶ εἶπα αὐτοῖς, ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐτὸς εὐοδώσει ἡμῖν, καὶ ἡμεῖς δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ καθαροὶ, καὶ οἰκοδομήσομεν· καὶ ὑμῖν οὐκ ἔστι μερὶς καὶ δικαιοσύνη καὶ μνημόσυνον ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.