Nehemiae 2

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Factum est autem in mense Nisan, anno vigesimo Artaxerxis regis : et vinum erat ante eum, et levavi vinum, et dedi regi : et eram quasi languidus ante faciem ejus.	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 Dixitque mihi rex : Quare vultus tuus tristis est, cum te ægrotum non videam ? non est hoc frustra, sed malum nescio quod in corde tuo est. Et timui valde, ac nimis :	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 et dixi regi : Rex, in æternum vive : quare non mœreat vultus meus, quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est, et portæ ejus combustæ sunt igni ?	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 Et ait mihi rex : Pro qua re postulas ? Et oravi Deum cæli,	4 The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" 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 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 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 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 Et dixi regi : Si regi videtur bonum, epistolas det mihi ad duces regionis trans flumen, ut traducant me, donec veniam in Judæam :	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 et epistolam ad Asaph custodem saltus regis, ut det mihi ligna, ut tegere possim portas turris domus, et muros civitatis, et domum quam ingressus fuero. Et dedit mihi rex juxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum.	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 Et veni ad duces regionis trans flumen, dedique eis epistolas regis. Miserat autem rex mecum principes militum, et equites.	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 Et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites, et Tobias servus Ammanites : et contristati sunt afflictione magna, quod venisset homo qui quæreret prosperitatem filiorum Israël.	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 Et veni Jerusalem, et eram ibi tribus diebus.	11 When I had arrived in Jerusalem, I first rested there for three days.
12 Et surrexi nocte ego, et viri pauci mecum, et non indicavi cuiquam quid Deus dedisset in corde meo ut facerem in Jerusalem : et jumentum non erat mecum, nisi animal cui sedebam.	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 Et egressus sum per portam vallis nocte, et ante fontem draconis, et ad portam stercoris, et considerabam murum Jerusalem dissipatum, et portas ejus consumptas igni.	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 Et transivi ad portam fontis, et ad aquæductum regis, et non erat locus jumento cui sedebam ut transiret.	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 Et ascendi per torrentem nocte, et considerabam murum, et reversus veni ad portam vallis, et redii.	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 Magistratus autem nesciebant quo abiissem, aut quid ego facerem : sed et Judæis, et sacerdotibus, et optimatibus, et magistratibus, et reliquis qui faciebant opus, usque ad id loci nihil indicaveram.	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 Et dixi eis : Vos nostis afflictionem in qua sumus : quia Jerusalem deserta est, et portæ ejus consumptæ sunt igni : venite, et ædificemus muros Jerusalem, et non simus ultra opprobrium.	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 Et indicavi eis manum Dei mei, quod esset bona mecum, et verba regis quæ locutus esset mihi, et aio : Surgamus, et ædificemus. Et confortatæ sunt manus eorum in bono.	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 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 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 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 Jerusalem.	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."