Neemia (نحميا) 2

SMITH VAN DYKE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 وفي شهر نيسان في السنة العشرين لأرتحشستا الملك كانت خمر امامه فحملت الخمر واعطيت الملك. ولم اكن قبل مكمدا امامه.	1 In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when the wine was in my charge, I took some and offered it to the king. As I had never before been sad in his presence,
2 فقال لي الملك لماذا وجهك مكمّد وانت غير مريض. ما هذا الا كآبة قلب. فخفت كثيرا جدا	2 the king asked me, "Why do you look sad? If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart." Though I was seized with great fear,
3 وقلت للملك. ليحيى الملك الى الابد. كيف لا يكمد وجهي والمدينة بيت مقابر آبائي خراب وابوابها قد اكلتها النار.	3 I answered the king: "May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?"
4 فقال لي الملك ماذا طالب انت. فصلّيت الى اله السماء.	4 The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven
5 وقلت للملك اذا سرّ الملك واذا احسن عبدك امامك ترسلني الى يهوذا الى مدينة قبور آبائي فابنيها.	5 and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it."
6 فقال لي الملك والملكة جالسة بجانبه الى متى يكون سفرك ومتى ترجع. فحسن لدى الملك وارسلني فعينت له زمانا.	6 Then the king, and the queen seated beside him, asked me how long my journey would take and when I would return. I set a date that was acceptable to him, and the king agreed that I might go.
7 وقلت للملك ان حسن عند الملك فلتعط لي رسائل الى ولاة عبر النهر لكي يجيزوني حتى اصل الى يهوذا	7 I asked the king further: "If it please the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of West-of-Euphrates, that they may afford me safe-conduct till I arrive in Judah;
8 ورسالة الى آساف حارس فردوس الملك لكي يعطيني اخشابا لسقف ابواب القصر الذي للبيت ولسور المدينة وللبيت الذي ادخل اليه. فاعطاني الملك حسب يد الهي الصالحة عليّ	8 also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park, that he may give me wood for timbering the gates of the temple-citadel and for the city wall and the house that I shall occupy." The king granted my requests, for the favoring hand of my God was upon me.
9 فأتيت الى ولاة عبر النهر واعطيتهم رسائل الملك وارسل معي الملك رؤساء جيش وفرسانا.	9 Thus I proceeded to the governors of West-of-Euphrates and presented the king's letters to them. The king also sent with me army officers and cavalry.
10 ولما سمع سنبلط الحوروني وطوبيا العبد العموني ساءهما مساءة عظيمة لانه جاء رجل يطلب خيرا لبني اسرائيل	10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite slave had heard of this, they were very much displeased that someone had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites.
11 فجئت الى اورشليم وكنت هناك ثلاثة ايام.	11 When I had arrived in Jerusalem, I first rested there for three days.
12 ثم قمت ليلا انا ورجال قليلون معي. ولم اخبر احدا بما جعله الهي في قلبي لاعمله في اورشليم. ولم يكن معي بهيمة الا البهيمة التي كنت راكبها.	12 Then I set out by night with only a few other men (for I had not told anyone what my God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem) and with no other animals but my own mount.
13 وخرجت من باب الوادي ليلا امام عين التنين الى باب الدّمن وصرت اتفرس في اسوار اورشليم المنهدمة وابوابها التي أكلتها النار.	13 I rode out at night by the Valley Gate, passed by the Dragon Spring, and came to the Dung Gate, observing how the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins and its gates had been eaten out by fire.
14 وعبرت الى باب العين والى بركة الملك ولم يكن مكان لعبور البهيمة التي تحتي.	14 Then I passed over to the Spring Gate and to the King's Pool. Since there was no room here for my mount to pass with me astride,
15 فصعدت في الوادي ليلا وكنت اتفرس في السور ثم عدت فدخلت من باب الوادي راجعا.	15 I continued on foot up the wadi by night, inspecting the wall all the while till I once more reached the Valley Gate, by which I went back in.
16 ولم يعرف الولاة الى اين ذهبت ولا ما انا عامل ولم اخبر الى ذلك الوقت اليهود والكهنة والاشراف والولاة وباقي عاملي العمل.	16 The magistrates knew nothing of where I had gone or what I was doing, for as yet I had disclosed nothing to the Jews, neither to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the magistrates, nor to the others who would be concerned about the matter.
17 ثم قلت لهم انتم ترون الشر الذي نحن فيه كيف ان اورشليم خربة وابوابها قد احرقت بالنار هلم فنبني سور اورشليم ولا نكون بعد عارا.	17 Afterward I said to them: "You see the evil plight in which we stand: how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been gutted by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be an object of derision!"
18 واخبرتهم عن يد الهي الصالحة عليّ وايضا عن كلام الملك الذي قاله لي. فقالوا لنقم ولنبن. وشددوا اياديهم للخير	18 Then I explained to them how the favoring hand of my God had rested upon me, and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us be up and building!" And they undertook the good work with vigor.
19 ولما سمع سنبلّط الحوروني وطوبيا العبد العموني وجشم العربي هزأوا بنا واحتقرونا وقالوا ما هذا الأمر الذي انتم عاملون أعلى الملك تتمردون.	19 On hearing of this, Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite slave, and Geshem the Arab mocked us and ridiculed us. "What is this that you are about?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"
20 فاجبتهم وقلت لهم ان اله السماء يعطينا النجاح ونحن عبيده نقوم ونبني. واما انتم فليس لكم نصيب ولا حق ولا ذكر في اورشليم	20 My answer to them was this: "It is the God of heaven who will grant us success. We, his servants, shall set about the rebuilding; but for you there is to be neither share nor claim nor memorial in Jerusalem."