Nehemiah 2:3 - Forerunner Commentary

Nehemiah 2:3

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of ^aKing Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that ^bI took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but ^asorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid,

3 and said to the king, ^a“May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when ^bthe city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with ^cfire?”

4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I ^aprayed to the God of heaven.

5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him ^aa time.

7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the ^agovernors of the region beyond¹ the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,

Verse Comparison: Nehemiah 2:3

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Nehemiah 2:4 >>

American Standard Version
And I 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?

Amplified® Bible
And said to the king, Let the king live forever! Why should I not be sad faced when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchers, lies waste, and its [fortified] gates are consumed by fire?

Contemporary English Version
I answered, "Your Majesty, I hope you live forever! I feel sad because the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down."

Darby English Version
And I said to the king, Let the king live for ever! Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?

Good News Bible
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?"

King James Version
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?

New American Standard Bible
I said to the king, "Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?"

New International Version
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?"

New King James Version
and said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?"

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
I said to the king, "Let the king live forever Why should my face not appear sad when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies desolate and its gates have burned in the fire?"

Revised Standard Version
I said to the king, "Let the king live for ever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

Young's Literal Translation
and say to the king, `Let the king to the age live! wherefore should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of the graves of my fathers, `is' a waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?'

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Nehemiah Sent to Judah

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