1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before;

亚达薛西王二十年犹太历7月，在王面前摆酒，我拿起酒来奉给王。我素来在王面前没有愁容。

2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,

王就问我：“你又没生病，为什么面带愁容呢？一定是你心中愁烦。”我 甚惧怕。

3 but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

我却对王说：“吾王万岁！我的祖坟成了废墟，城门被火焚烧，我岂能 面无愁容呢？”

4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

王问我：“你有什么要求？”于是，我默默地向天上的神祷告，

5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

然后回答国王：“王若看着仆人顺眼，并且赞成这个请求，就派遣我去犹 大，到我祖宗所埋的那城，以便重建。”
6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

当时，王后坐在王的旁边。王问我：“你要去多久？何时回来？”大王心情不错，决定派我去。于是，我就定了日期。

7 I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?

我又对王说：“王若高兴，赐我几封亲笔信，叫幼发拉底河沿途各省的省长准 我经过，直到犹大。

8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

还要赐诏书，通知主管林业的亚萨，叫他给我木料，作圣殿旁宫门的柱子，做城墙的门框，还有我自己的住处。”因我神施恩的手帮助我，王就一一答应。

9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

王还派了军官和骑兵护送我。我到了沿河各省的省长那里，将王的信分别交 给他们。

10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

和伦人参巴拉，还有做官的亚扪人多比雅，得知有人来为以色列谋福，甚为不安。

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days

我到耶路撒冷三日后，

12 I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

趁夜带几个随从出来。但神在我心里为耶路撒冷动工，我并没有告诉人。仅我一人骑着牲口。

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

当夜我出了谷门，去野狗井， 到了粪门，察看耶路撒冷的城墙，见城墙拆毁，城门被烧。
14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;

我又前往泉 门和王池，但所骑的牲口过不去。
15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

于是，夜间沿溪而上，察看城墙，又转身过谷门，就回来了。
16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

我往哪里去，我做什么事，官长们都不知道。我还没有告诉犹太人、祭司、贵胄、官长和其余做工的人。
17 Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."

随后，我对他们说：“我们遭难 。耶路撒冷荒凉。城门被烧。你们都看见了。来吧，我们重建耶路撒冷的城墙，免得再受凌辱。
18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

我告诉他们，我 神施恩的手怎样帮助我，还有王对我所说的话。他们就说：‘我们开始重建吧。’于是，他们着手做这善工。
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"

但和伦人参巴拉、为官的 亚扪人多比雅和阿拉伯人基善，听见就嗤笑我们，藐视我们，说：‘你们做什么呢？要背叛王吗？’
20 I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."