The Latin Vulgate VUL
Good News Translation GNT
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 eius
1
One day four months later, when Emperor Artaxerxes was dining, I took the wine to him. He had never seen me look sad before,
2 dixitque mihi rex quare vultus tuus tristis cum te aegrotum non videam non est hoc frustra sed malum nescio quid in corde tuo est et timui valde ac nimis
2
so he asked, "Why are you looking so sad? You aren't sick, so it must be that you're unhappy." I was startled
3 et dixi regi rex in aeternum vive quare non maereat vultus meus quia civitas domus sepulchrorum patris mei deserta est et portae eius conbustae sunt igni
3
and answered, "May Your Majesty live forever! How can I keep from looking sad when the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
4 et ait mihi rex pro qua re postulas et oravi Deum caeli
4
The emperor asked, "What is it that you want?" 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 Iudaeam ad civitatem sepulchri patris mei et aedificabo eam
5
and then I said to the emperor, "If Your Majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city."
6 dixitque mihi rex et regina quae sedebat iuxta eum usque ad quod tempus erit iter tuum et quando reverteris et placuit ante vultum regis et misit me et constitui ei tempus
6
The emperor, with the empress sitting at his side, approved my request. He asked me how long I would be gone and when I would return, and I told him.
7 et dixi regi si regi videtur bonum epistulas det mihi ad duces regionis trans Flumen ut transducant me donec veniam in Iudaeam
7
Then I asked him to grant me the favor of giving me letters to the governors of West-of-Euphrates Province, instructing them to let me travel to Judah.
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 iuxta manum Dei mei bonam mecum
8
I asked also for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal forests, instructing him to supply me with timber for the gates of the fort that guards the Temple, for the city walls, and for the house I was to live in. The emperor gave me all I asked for, because God was with me.
9 et veni ad duces regionis trans Flumen dedique eis epistulas regis miserat autem mecum rex principes militum et equites
9
The emperor sent some army officers and a troop of cavalry with me, and I made the journey to West-of-Euphrates. There I gave the emperor's letters to the governors.
10 et audierunt Sanaballat Horonites et Tobias servus ammanites et contristati sunt adflictione magna quod venisset homo qui quaereret prosperitatem filiorum Israhel
10
But Sanballat, from the town of Beth Horon, and Tobiah, an official in the province of Ammon, heard that someone had come to work for the good of the people of Israel, and they were highly indignant.
11 et veni Hierusalem et eram ibi diebus tribus
11
I went on to Jerusalem, and 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 Hierusalem et iumentum non erat mecum nisi animal cui sedebam
12
I did not tell anyone what God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem. Then in the middle of the night I got up and went out, taking a few of my companions with me. The only animal we took was the donkey that I rode on.
13 et egressus sum per portam Vallis nocte et ante fontem Draconis et ad portam Stercoris et considerabam murum Hierusalem dissipatum et portas eius consumptas igni
13
It was still night as I left the city through the Valley Gate on the west and went south past Dragon's Fountain to the Rubbish Gate. As I went, I inspected the broken walls of the city and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 et transivi ad portam Fontis et ad aquaeductum Regis et non erat locus iumento cui sedebam ut transiret
14
Then on the east side of the city I went north to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool. The donkey I was riding could not find any path through the rubble,
15 et ascendi per torrentem nocte et considerabam murum et reversus veni ad portam Vallis et redii
15
so I went down into Kidron Valley and rode along, looking at the wall. Then I returned the way I had come and went back into the city through the Valley Gate.
16 magistratus autem nesciebant quo abissem aut quid ego facerem sed et Iudaeis et sacerdotibus et optimatibus et magistratibus et reliquis qui faciebant opus usque ad id locorum nihil indicaveram
16
None of the local officials knew where I had gone or what I had been doing. So far I had not said anything to any of the other Jews - the priests, the leaders, the officials, or anyone else who would be taking part in the work.
17 et dixi eis vos nostis adflictionem in qua sumus quia Hierusalem deserta est et portae eius consumptae sunt igni venite et aedificemus muros Hierusalem et non simus ultra obprobrium
17
But now I said to them, "See what trouble we are in because Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates are destroyed! Let's rebuild the city walls and put an end to our disgrace."
18 et indicavi eis manum Dei mei quod esset bona mecum et verba regis quae locutus est mihi et aio surgamus et aedificemus et confortatae sunt manus eorum in bono
18
And I told them how God had been with me and helped me, and what the emperor had said to me. They responded, "Let's start rebuilding!" And they got ready to start the work.
19 audierunt autem Sanaballat Horonites et Tobias servus ammanites et Gosem Arabs et subsannaverunt nos et despexerunt dixeruntque quae est haec res quam facitis numquid contra regem vos rebellatis
19
When Sanballat, Tobiah, and an Arab named Geshem heard what we were planning to do, they laughed at us and said, "What do you think you're doing? Are you going to rebel against the emperor?"
20 et reddidi eis sermonem dixique ad eos Deus caeli ipse nos iuvat et nos servi eius sumus surgamus et aedificemus vobis autem non est pars et iustitia et memoria in Hierusalem
20
I answered, "The God of Heaven will give us success. We are his servants, and we are going to start building. But you have no right to any property in Jerusalem, and you have no share in its traditions."
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.