Nehemiah 2

KJ3 Literal Translation — Chapter 2 of 13

1 ¶ And it happened in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him. And I took the wine and gave to the king. And I had never been sad to his face.

2 And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, and not to you is sickness? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid.

3 And I said to the king, Let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad when the place of my fathers' tombs, the city, lies waste and its gates are consumed with fire?

Read full chapter in the Bible Reader

Chapter Summary

1 Artaxerxes sends Nehemiah with letters and com-mission to Jerusalem. 9 Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem. 12 He views secretly the ruins of the walls. 17 He incites the Jews to build.

Key Hebrew Words

חוֹמָה wall H2346 · TWOT 674c
בָּנָה build, rebuild H1129 · TWOT 255
שַׁ֫עַר gate H8179 · TWOT 2437a
חֶרְפָּה reproach H2781 · TWOT 749a
אִגֶּ֫רֶת letter H107 · TWOT 23b
פֶּחָה governor H6346 · TWOT 1757

People & Context

Nehemiah (son of Hachaliah)

Cupbearer to Artaxerxes who secures leave to return and inspects Jerusalem's ruined walls by night

Artaxerxes

Persian king who notices Nehemiah's sadness and grants him letters and timber to rebuild Jerusalem

Sanballat the Horonite

Adversary grieved that Nehemiah came to seek the good of Israel; mocks the rebuilding

Tobiah the Ammonite

Ammonite servant who joins Sanballat in opposing and mocking Nehemiah's work

Geshem the Arabian

Arabian who joins Sanballat and Tobiah in mocking the Jews and accusing them of rebellion

Asaph

Keeper of the king's forest, ordered by letter to supply timber for the gates and wall

Timeline

Nehemiah Appears Sad Before the King

While serving wine, King Artaxerxes notices Nehemiah's sadness. Nehemiah explains his sorrow over the ruined state of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 2:1-3
Nehemiah's Request and the King's Permission

After a quick prayer, Nehemiah asks the king for permission to return to Judah to rebuild the city. The king grants the request, sets a timeline, and provides letters for safe passage and timber.

Nehemiah 2:4-8
Journey and Arrival

Nehemiah travels with an army escort, delivers the king's letters to the governors Beyond the River, and arrives in Jerusalem, upsetting Sanballat and Tobiah.

Nehemiah 2:9-11

Read Nehemiah 2 in the KJ3 Reader

Word-for-word literal translation with Hebrew interlinear, Strong's numbers, and audio.

Open in Bible Reader
Nehemiah 1NehemiahNehemiah 3