Nehemiah 2 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
1 Y FUÉ en el mes de Nisán, en el año veinte del rey Artajerjes, que estando ya el vino delante de él, tomé el vino, y dílo al rey. Y como yo no había estado [antes] triste en su presencia,
2 so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to be sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
2 Díjome el rey: ¿Por qué está triste tu rostro, pues no estás enfermo? No es esto sino quebranto de corazón. Entonces temí en gran manera.
3 but I replied to the king, “Long live the king! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
3 Y dije al rey: El rey viva para siempre. ¿Cómo no estará triste mi rostro, cuando la ciudad, casa de los sepulcros de mis padres, está desierta, y sus puertas consumidas del fuego?
4 “So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
4 Y díjome el rey: ¿Qué cosa pides? Entonces oré al Dios de los cielos,
5 “If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
5 Y dije al rey: Si al rey place, y si agrada tu siervo delante de ti, que me envíes á Judá, á la ciudad de los sepulcros de mis padres, y la reedificaré.
6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
6 Entonces el rey me dijo, (y la reina estaba sentada junto á él): ¿Hasta cuándo será tu viaje, y cuándo volverás? Y plugo al rey enviarme, después que yo le señalé tiempo.
7 I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
7 Además dije al rey: Si al rey place, dénseme cartas para los gobernadores de la otra parte del río, que me franqueen el paso hasta que llegue á Judá;
8 May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
8 Y carta para Asaph, guarda del bosque del rey, á fin que me dé madera para enmaderar los portales del palacio de la casa, y para el muro de la ciudad, y la casa donde entraré. Y otorgóme[lo] el rey, según la benéfica mano de Jehová sobre mí.
9 Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
9 Y vine luego á los gobernadores de la otra parte del río, y les dí las cartas del rey. Y el rey envió conmigo capitanes del ejército y gente de á caballo.
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
10 Y oyéndolo Sanballat Horonita, y Tobías, el siervo Ammonita, disgustóles en extremo que viniese alguno para procurar el bien de los hijos de Israel.
11 I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
11 Llegué pues á Jerusalem, y estado que hube allí tres días,
12 Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
12 Levantéme de noche, yo y unos pocos varones conmigo, y no declaré á hombre alguno lo que Dios había puesto en mi corazón que hiciese en Jerusalem; ni había bestia conmigo, excepto la cabalgadura en que cabalgaba.
13 So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
13 Y salí de noche por la puerta del Valle hacia la fuente del Dragón y á la puerta del Muladar; y consideré los muros de Jerusalem que estaban derribados, y sus puertas que estaban consumidas del fuego.
14 Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
14 Pasé luego á la puerta de la Fuente, y al estanque del Rey; mas no había lugar por donde pasase la cabalgadura en que iba.
15 So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
15 Y subí por el torrente de noche, y consideré el muro, y regresando entré por la puerta del Valle, y volvíme.
16 Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
16 Y no sabían los magistrados dónde yo había ido, ni qué había hecho; ni hasta entonces lo había yo declarado á los Judíos y sacerdotes, ni á los nobles y magistrados, ni á los demás que hacían la obra.
17 Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
17 Díjeles pues: Vosotros veis el mal en que estamos, que Jerusalem está desierta, y sus puertas consumidas del fuego: venid, y edifiquemos el muro de Jerusalem, y no seamos más en oprobio.
18 Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
18 Entonces les declaré cómo la mano de mi Dios era buena sobre mí, y asimismo las palabras del rey, que me había dicho. Y dijeron: Levantémonos, y edifiquemos. Así esforzaron sus manos para bien.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
19 Mas habiéndolo oído Samballat Horonita, y Tobías el siervo Ammonita, y Gesem el Arabe, escarnecieron de nosotros, y nos despreciaron, diciendo: ¿Qué es esto que hacéis vosotros? ¿os rebeláis contra el rey?
20 But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
20 Y volvíles respuesta, y díjeles: El Dios de los cielos, él nos prosperará, y nosotros sus siervos nos levantaremos y edificaremos: que vosotros no tenéis parte, ni derecho, ni memoria en Jerusalem.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Asaph
Persian official to whom Artaxerxes’s letter ordered timber given to Nehemiah for the gates and wall.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:8
Geshem
Geshem the Arab joined Sanballat and Tobiah in mocking the builders and sent messages to lure Nehemiah to Ono.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 6:1; Nehemiah 6:2
Sanballat
Sanballat the Horonite, who mocked, plotted against, and tried to lure Nehemiah during the wall building; one of the high priest’s grandsons became his son-in-law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1
Tobiah
Ammonite official who jeered at the wall, sent intimidating letters, had ties of marriage and oath among Judah’s nobles, and was given a temple storeroom by Eliashib until…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 4:3; Nehemiah 6:17
Cross references (19)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Ezra 7:1; Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 1:1; Ezra 7:7; Esther 3:7
- 2 Proverbs 15:13; Genesis 40:7
- 3 Nehemiah 1:3; 1 Kings 1:31; Daniel 5:10; Psalm 137:6; Daniel 2:4
- 4 Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 3:6; Nehemiah 1:4; Nehemiah 1:11; 1 Kings 3:5
- 5 2 Samuel 14:22; Ruth 2:13; Esther 8:5; Ezra 5:17; Esther 5:8
- 6 Nehemiah 13:6; Nehemiah 5:14; Isaiah 65:24; Isaiah 58:12; Nehemiah 2:4
- 7 Ezra 7:21; Nehemiah 2:9; Ezra 8:36; Ezra 6:6; Ezra 8:22
- 8 Ezra 7:6; Isaiah 66:14; Nehemiah 7:2; Daniel 1:9; Nehemiah 2:17–18
- 9 Ezra 8:22
- 10 Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:7; Nehemiah 13:4; Acts 19:26–27; Proverbs 27:4
- 11 Ezra 8:32
- 12 Revelation 17:17; Ezra 7:27; Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 8:16; Jeremiah 32:40
- 13 Nehemiah 1:3; 2 Chronicles 26:9; Nehemiah 2:17; Nehemiah 3:13–14; Nehemiah 2:3
- 14 Nehemiah 3:15; 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30; 2 Kings 18:17
- 15 2 Samuel 15:23; Jeremiah 31:38–40; John 18:1
- 17 Ezekiel 5:14; Isaiah 35:3–4; Psalm 79:4; Lamentations 3:51; Nehemiah 1:3
- 18 Philippians 2:13; 1 Chronicles 19:13; 2 Chronicles 32:5; Ephesians 6:10; Haggai 1:13–14
- 19 Nehemiah 6:6; Nehemiah 6:1–2; Psalm 44:13–14; Mark 5:40; Psalm 80:6
- 20 Ezra 4:3; Acts 8:21; Nehemiah 2:4; Isaiah 56:5; Acts 10:31
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences