尼希米返回耶路撒冷
1亞達薛西王二十年尼散月2·1 「尼散月」即希伯來曆的一月，陽曆是三月中旬到四月中旬。，酒呈到王面前後，我端起酒遞給王。在王面前，我一向沒有愁容。 2王問我：「你沒有病，為什麼面帶愁容？一定是心中煩惱。」我非常害怕。 3我對王說：「願王萬歲！我祖墳所在的城邑已成廢墟，城門也被燒毀，我怎能不面帶愁容？」 4王問我：「你有什麼要求？」我向天上的上帝禱告後， 5回答說：「如果王認為好，如果僕人在王面前蒙恩，請王派我到猶大，重建我祖墳所在的城邑。」 6當時王后坐在王的旁邊，王問我：「你要去多久？什麼時候回來？」我告訴王一個日期，王欣然批准。 7我又說：「如果王認為好，求王賜我詔書，通知河西省長准我經過前往猶大。 8求王再發一道詔書，通知管理王室園林的亞薩，吩咐他供給我木材，用來做聖殿堡壘的門梁及建造城牆和我住的房子。」王批准了我的請求，因為我的上帝施恩幫助我。
9王派將領率騎兵沿途護送我。到了河西省長那裡，我把王的詔書交給他們。 10和倫人參巴拉和官長亞捫人多比雅聽到有人來幫以色列人謀求好處，非常不悅。
尼希米視察耶路撒冷的城牆
11我到了耶路撒冷，在那裡住了三天， 12然後在夜間起來，帶著幾個人出去。上帝感動我要為耶路撒冷做的事，我沒有告訴任何人。除了我騎的牲口外，我們沒有帶其他牲口。 13我穿過谷門，朝龍泉的方向走到糞廠門，在那裡察看耶路撒冷倒塌的城牆和被燒毀的城門。 14我又往前走到泉門和王池，我騎的牲口無法通過那裡， 15我就乘夜沿溪而上，察看城牆，然後轉身取道谷門回城。 16官員不知道我到過哪裡，做過何事，因為我還沒有向猶太人、祭司、貴族、官員和其他要參與這工程的人透露我的計劃。
17後來我對他們說：「你們都看到了我們的困境。耶路撒冷已成廢墟，城門也被燒毀。來吧，讓我們重建耶路撒冷的城牆，免得我們再受凌辱。」 18然後，我把我的上帝怎樣施恩幫助我以及王對我說的話都告訴了他們。他們就說：「我們起來重建城牆吧！」於是他們開始做這善工。 19但和倫人參巴拉和官長亞捫人多比雅，以及阿拉伯人基善聽說後，就譏笑我們，藐視我們，說：「你們在做什麽？想要背叛王嗎？」 20我回答他們說：「天上的上帝必使我們亨通，我們身為祂僕人，要起來重建這城牆，但你們在耶路撒冷無份、無權、無業。」
Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem
1Wine was brought in for King Artaxerxes. It was the month of Nisan in the 20th year of his rule. I got the wine and gave it to him. I hadn’t been sad in front of him before. But now I was. 2So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You aren’t sick. You must be feeling very sad.”
I was really afraid. 3But I said to the king, “May you live forever! Why shouldn’t I look sad? The city where my people of long ago are buried has been destroyed. And fire has burned up its gates.”
4The king said to me, “What do you want?”
I prayed to the God of heaven. 5Then I answered the king, “Are you pleased with me, King Artaxerxes? If it pleases you, send me to Judah. Let me go to the city of Jerusalem. That’s where my people are buried. I want to rebuild it.”
6The queen was sitting beside the king. He turned and asked me, “How long will your journey take? When will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me. So I chose a certain time.
7I also said to him, “If it pleases you, may I take some letters with me? I want to give them to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates River. Then they’ll help me travel safely through their territory until I arrive in Judah. 8May I also have a letter to Asaph? He takes care of the royal park. I want him to give me some logs so I can make beams out of them. I want to use them for the gates of the fort that is by the temple. Some of the logs will also be used in the city wall. And I’ll need some for the house I’m going to live in.” God was kind to me and helped me. So the king gave me what I asked for. 9Then I went to the governors of the land west of the Euphrates River. I gave them the king’s letters. He had also sent army officers and horsemen along with me.
10Sanballat and Tobiah heard about what was happening. Sanballat was a Horonite. Tobiah was an official from Ammon. They were very upset that someone had come to help the Israelites.
Nehemiah Checks Out the Walls of Jerusalem
11I went to Jerusalem and stayed there for three days. 12Then at night I took a few other people with me to check out the walls. I hadn’t told anyone what my God wanted me to do for Jerusalem. There weren’t any donkeys with me except the one I was riding on.
13That night I went out through the Valley Gate. I went toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate. I checked out the walls of Jerusalem. They had been broken down. I also checked the city gates. Fire had burned them up. 14I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool. But there wasn’t enough room for my donkey to get through. 15It was still night. I went up the Kidron Valley. I kept checking the wall. Finally, I turned back. I went back in through the Valley Gate. 16The officials didn’t know where I had gone or what I had done. That’s because I hadn’t said anything to anyone yet. I hadn’t told the priests or nobles or officials. And I hadn’t spoken to any other Jews who would be rebuilding the wall.
17I said to them, “You can see the trouble we’re in. Jerusalem has been destroyed. Fire has burned up its gates. Come on. Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Then people won’t be ashamed anymore.” 18I also told them how my gracious God was helping me. And I told them what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they began that good work.
19But Sanballat, the Horonite, heard about it. So did Tobiah, the official from Ammon. Geshem, the Arab, heard about it too. All of them laughed at us. They made fun of us. “What do you think you are doing?” they asked. “Are you turning against the king?”
20I answered, “The God of heaven will give us success. We serve him. So we’ll start rebuilding the walls. But you don’t have any share in Jerusalem. You don’t have any claim to it. You don’t have any right to worship here.”
