Nehemiah 2 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Nehemiah 2 (WEBP)

[1] In 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.
[2] The 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.
[3] I 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?”
[4] Then the king said to me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
[5] I 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.”
[6] The 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.
[7] Moreover 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;
[8] and 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.
[9] Then 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.
[10] When 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.
[11] So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
[12] I 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.
[13] I 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.
[14] Then 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.
[15] Then 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.
[16] The 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.
[17] Then 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.”
[18] I 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.
[19] But 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?”
[20] Then 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.”

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Nehemiah 2 (KJVS)

[1] And it came to pass in the month Nisan , in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king , [that] wine [was] before him: and I took up () the wine , and gave () [it] unto the king . Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence .
[2] Wherefore the king said () unto me, Why [is] thy countenance sad , seeing thou [art] not sick ()? this [is] nothing [else] but sorrow of heart . Then I was very sore () afraid (),
[3] And said () unto the king , Let the king live () for ever : why should not my countenance be sad (), when the city , the place of my fathers ’ sepulchres , [lieth] waste , and the gates thereof are consumed () with fire ?
[4] Then the king said () unto me, For what dost thou make request ()? So I prayed () to the God of heaven .
[5] And I said () unto the king , If it please () the king , and if thy servant have found favour () in thy sight , that thou wouldest send () me unto Judah , unto the city of my fathers ’ sepulchres , that I may build () it.
[6] And the king said () unto me, (the queen also sitting () by him ,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return ()? So it pleased () the king to send () me; and I set () him a time .
[7] Moreover I said () unto the king , If it please () the king , let letters be given () me to the governors beyond the river , that they may convey me over () till I come () into Judah ;
[8] And a letter unto Asaph the keeper () of the king’s forest , that he may give () me timber to make beams () for the gates of the palace which [appertained] to the house , and for the wall of the city , and for the house that I shall enter into (). And the king granted () me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
[9] Then 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.
[10] When Sanballat the Horonite , and Tobiah the servant , the Ammonite , heard () [of it], it grieved () them exceedingly that there was come () a man to seek () the welfare of the children of Israel .
[11] So I came () to Jerusalem , and was there three days .
[12] And I arose () in the night , I and some few men with me; neither told () I [any] man what my God had put () in my heart to do () at Jerusalem : neither [was there any] beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon ().
[13] And I went out () by night by the gate of the valley , even before the dragon well () , and to the dung port , and viewed () (8675) () the walls of Jerusalem , which were broken down (), and the gates thereof were consumed () with fire .
[14] Then I went on () to the gate of the fountain , and to the king’s pool : but [there was] no place for the beast [that was] under me to pass ().
[15] Then went I up () in the night by the brook , and viewed () (8675) () the wall , and turned back (), and entered () by the gate of the valley , and [so] returned ().
[16] And the rulers knew () not whither I went (), or what I did (); neither had I as yet told () [it] to the Jews , nor to the priests , nor to the nobles , nor to the rulers , nor to the rest that did () the work .
[17] Then said () I unto them, Ye see () the distress that we [are] in, how Jerusalem [lieth] waste , and the gates thereof are burned () with fire : come (), and let us build up () the wall of Jerusalem , that we be no more a reproach .
[18] Then I told () them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken () unto me. And they said (), Let us rise up () and build (). So they strengthened () their hands for [this] good [work].
[19] But when Sanballat the Horonite , and Tobiah the servant , the Ammonite , and Geshem the Arabian , heard () [it], they laughed us to scorn (), and despised () us, and said (), What [is] this thing that ye do ()? will ye rebel () against the king ?
[20] Then answered () I them, and said () unto them, The God of heaven , he will prosper () us; therefore we his servants will arise () and build (): but ye have no portion , nor right , nor memorial , in Jerusalem .

Young’s Literal Translation

Nehemiah 2 (YLT)

[1] And it cometh to pass, in the month of Nisan, the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, wine is before him, and I lift up the wine, and give to the king, and I had not been sad before him;
[2] and the king saith to me, ‘Wherefore is thy face sad, and thou not sick? this is nothing except sadness of heart;’ and I fear very much,
[3] and say to the king, ‘Let the king to the age live! wherefore should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of the graves of my fathers, is a waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?’
[4] And the king saith to me, ‘For what art thou seeking?’ and I pray unto the God of the heavens,
[5] and say to the king, ‘If to the king it be good, and if thy servant be pleasing before thee, that thou send me unto Judah, unto the city of the graves of my fathers, and I built it.’
[6] And the king saith to me (and the queen is sitting near him), ‘How long is thy journey? and when dost thou return?’ and it is good before the king, and he sendeth me away, and I set to him a time.
[7] And I say to the king, ‘If to the king it be good, letters let be given to me for the governors beyond the River, that they let me pass over till that I come in unto Judah:
[8] and a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the paradise that the king hath, that he give to me trees for beams for the gates of the palace that the house hath, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I enter;’ and the king giveth to me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
[9] And I come in unto the governors beyond the River, and give to them the letters of the king; and the king sendeth with me heads of a force, and horsemen;
[10] and Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it is evil to them-a great evil-that a man hath come in to seek good for the sons of Israel.
[11] And I come in unto Jerusalem, and I am there three days,
[12] and I rise by night, I and a few men with me, and have not declared to a man what my God is giving unto my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there is no beast with me except the beast on which I am riding.
[13] And I go out through the gate of the valley by night, and unto the front of the fountain of the dragon, and unto the gate of the dunghill, and I am measuring about the walls of Jerusalem, that are broken down, and its gates consumed with fire.
[14] And I pass over unto the gate of the fountain, and unto the pool of the king, and there is no place for the beast under me to pass over,
[15] and I am going up through the brook by night, and am measuring about the wall, and turn back, and come in through the gate of the valley, and turn back.
[16] And the prefects have not known whither I have gone, and what I am doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, hitherto I have not declared it;
[17] and I say unto them, ‘Ye are seeing the evil that we are in, in that Jerusalem is waste, and its gates have been burnt with fire; come and we build the wall of Jerusalem, and we are not any more a reproach.’
[18] And I declare to them the hand of my God that is good upon me, and also the words of the king that he said to me, and they say, ‘Let us rise, and we have built;’ and they strengthen their hands for good.
[19] And Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, ‘What is this thing that ye are doing? against the king are ye rebelling?’
[20] And I return them word, and say to them, ‘The God of the heavens-He doth give prosperity to us, and we His servants rise and have built; and to you there is no portion, and right, and memorial in Jerusalem.’