Nehemiah 2

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.

In the month Nisan, during the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, the king had wine. I served him wine, and I wasn't sad around him before.

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,

The king asked me why I looked sad even though I wasn't ill, and realized it was just heartache. This made me extremely frightened.

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?

The person told the king, "May you live forever! Why should I be sad when the city, where my ancestors are buried, is destroyed, and its gates are burned to ashes?

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

Then the king asked me, What do you want? So, I prayed to the God in heaven.

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.

I asked the king, if it's okay with him and if he likes me, to send me to Judah, to my ancestors' graves' city, so I can rebuild it.

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.

The king asked me, with the queen next to him, "How long is your trip, and when will you be back?" The king agreed to let me go, and I told him when I would return.

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;

I told the king, "If you agree, please give me permission to write to the leaders in the area beyond the river. They can help me travel until I reach Judah."

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.

A letter was written to Asaph, who looked after the king's forest. The purpose was to request wood for making gates and walls for the palace and city, as well as for a new house. The king agreed, showing his favor through providing the needed resources.

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.

Then I went to the leaders past the river and handed them the king's messages. The king also sent soldiers and riders with me.

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.

When Sanballat and Tobiah heard about this, they were very upset because someone had come to help the people of Israel.

So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

I went to Jerusalem and stayed for three days.

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.

I woke up at night, along with a few men. I didn't tell anyone about my God's plan for Jerusalem. Only the animal I rode was with me.

And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

I walked at night past the valley's gate, near the dragon well, to the dung port, and saw Jerusalem's walls broken and its gates burned by fire.

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.

I went to the fountain's gate and the king's pool, but the creature beneath me couldn't fit through.

Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

Then, at night, I walked near the stream, checked the wall, and left. I went through the valley's gate and returned.

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.

The leaders didn't know where I was going or what I was doing. I hadn't told this to the Jews, priests, nobles, rulers, or others who did the work either.

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.

I told them, "You see our trouble - how destroyed Jerusalem is, and its gates burned by fire. Let's rebuild the walls of Jerusalem so we stop being disgraced."

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.

Then I shared about God's helpful hand with them, along with the king's words to me. They replied, "Let's start building!" So they all worked together on this important task.

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?

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem heard this, they laughed and showed disrespect, asking, "What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"

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.

Then I told them, "The God of heaven will make us successful, so we, his people, will get up and rebuild. But you won't have any share, claim, or memory in Jerusalem."