Liber Nehemiae, 2

1. factum est autem in mense nisan anno vicesimo Artarxersis regis et vinum erat ante eum et levavi vinum et dedi regi et non eram quasi languidus ante faciem ejus

1. And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king: that wine was before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king: and I was as one languishing away before his face.

2. dixitque mihi rex quare vultus tuus tristis cum te ægrotum non videam non est hoc frustra sed malum nescio quid in corde tuo est et timui valde ac nimis

2. And the king said to me: Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou dost not appear to be sick? this is not without cause, but some evil, I know not what, is in thy heart. And I was seized with an exceeding great fear:

3. et dixi regi rex in æternum vive quare non mæreat vultus meus quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est et portæ ejus conbustæ sunt igni

3. And I said to the king: O king, live for ever: why should not my countenance be sorrowful, seeing the city of the place of the sepulchres of my fathers is desolate, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire?

4. et ait mihi rex pro qua re postulas et oravi Deum cæli

4. Then the king said to me: For what dost thou make request? And I prayed to the God of heaven,

5. 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

5. And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me into Judea to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build it.

6. 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

6. And the king said to me, and the queen that sat by him: For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased the king, and he sent me: and I fixed him a time.

7. et dixi regi si regi videtur bonum epistulas det mihi ad duces regionis trans Flumen ut transducant me donec veniam in Judæam

7. And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors of the country beyond the river, that they convey me over, till I come into Judea:

8. et epistulam ad Asaph custodem saltus regis ut det mihi ligna et tegere possim portas turris domus et muri civitatis et domum quam ingressus fuero et dedit mihi rex juxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum

8. And a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, to give me timber that I may cover 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 me according to the good hand of my God with me.

9. et veni ad duces regionis trans Flumen dedique eis epistulas regis miserat autem mecum rex principes militum et equites

9. And I came to the governors of the country beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. And the king had sent wish me captains of soldiers, and horsemen.

10. et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites et Tobias servus ammanites et contristati sunt adflictione magna quod venisset homo qui quæreret prosperitatem filiorum Israël

10. And Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, heard it, and it grieved them exceedingly, that a man was come, who sought the prosperity of the children of Israel.

11. et veni Hierusalem et eram ibi diebus tribus

11. And I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12. et surrexi nocte ego et viri pauci mecum et non indicavi cuiquam quid Deus dedisset in corde meo ut facerem in Hierusalem et jumentum non erat mecum nisi animal cui sedebam

12. And I arose in the night, I and some 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 that I rode upon.

13. et egressus sum per portam Vallis nocte et ante fontem Draconis et ad portam Stercoris et considerabam murum Hierusalem dissipatum et portas ejus consumptas igni

13. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and before the dragon fountain, and to the dung gate, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down, and the gates thereof which were consumed with fire.

14. et transivi ad portam Fontis et ad aquæductum Regis et non erat locus jumento cui sedebam ut transiret

14. And I passed to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's aqueduct, and there was no place for the beast on which I rode to pass.

15. et ascendi per torrentem nocte et considerabam murum et reversus veni ad portam Vallis et redii

15. And I went up in the night by the torrent, and viewed the wall, and going back I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.

16. magistratus autem nesciebant quo abissem aut quid ego facerem sed et Judæis et sacerdotibus et optimatibus et magistratibus et reliquis qui faciebant opus usque ad id locorum nihil indicaveram

16. But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: neither had I as yet told any thing to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the rest that did the work.

17. et dixi eis vos nostis adflictionem in qua sumus quia Hierusalem deserta est et portæ ejus consumptæ sunt igni venite et ædificemus muros Hierusalem et non simus ultra obprobrium

17. Then I said to them: You know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: come, and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, and let us be no longer a reproach.

18. et indicavi eis manum Dei mei quod esset bona mecum et verba regis quæ locutus est mihi et ajo surgamus et ædificemus et confortatæ sunt manus eorum in bono

18. And I shewed them how the hand of my God was good with me, and the king's words, which he had spoken to me, and I said: Let us rise up, and build. And their hands were strengthened in good.

19. 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

19. But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem the Arabian heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel against the king?

20. 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 Hierusalem

20. And I answered them, and said to them: The God of heaven he helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise up and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor remembrance in Jerusalem.