Nehemiah 2
How to read this: this is a word-for-word rendering straight from the original Hebrew, not a copyrighted translation — the top of each chip is the original word, the bottom is its plain-English sense. Faded chips mark words the Hebrew implies but wouldn't literally be spoken in English. Click any word for its full Strong's dictionary entry.
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וַיְהִ֣י׀and it wasבְּחֹ֣דֶשׁin the month ofנִיסָ֗ןNisanשְׁנַ֥תyearעֶשְׂרִ֛יםtwentyלְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּאof Artaxerxesהַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe kingיַ֣יִןwineלְפָנָ֑יוwas to before himוָאֶשָּׂ֤אand I tookאֶת־obj.הַיַּ֙יִן֙the wineוָאֶתְּנָ֣הand I gave it !לַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the kingוְלֹא־and notהָיִ֥יתִיI had beenרַ֖עsadלְפָנָֽיו׃to before him
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וָאֹמַ֣רand I saidלַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the kingהַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe kingלְעוֹלָ֣םfor everיִחְיֶ֑הmay he liveמַדּ֜וּעַwhy?לֹא־notיֵרְע֣וּwill they be sadפָנַ֗יface myאֲשֶׁ֨רthatהָעִ֜ירthe cityבֵּית־the house ofקִבְר֤וֹתthe tombs ofאֲבֹתַי֙ancestors myחֲרֵבָ֔הis desolateוּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָand gates itsאֻכְּל֥וּthey have been consumedבָאֵֽשׁ׃ סby the fire
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וָאֹמַ֣רand I saidלַמֶּ֔לֶךְto the kingאִם־ifעַל־is onהַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe kingט֔וֹבgoodוְאִם־and ifיִיטַ֥בhe is goodעַבְדְּךָ֖servant yourלְפָנֶ֑יךָto before youאֲשֶׁ֧רthatתִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִיyou will send meאֶל־toיְהוּדָ֗הJudahאֶל־toעִ֛ירthe city ofקִבְר֥וֹתthe tombs ofאֲבֹתַ֖יancestors myוְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃and I will rebuild it
6
וַיֹּאמֶר֩and he saidלִ֨יto meהַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe kingוְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל׀and the queen-consortיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתwas sittingאֶצְל֗וֹbeside himעַד־untilמָתַ֛יwhen?יִהְיֶ֥הwill it beמַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖journey yourוּמָתַ֣יand when?תָּשׁ֑וּבwill you returnוַיִּיטַ֤בand it was goodלִפְנֵֽי־to beforeהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the kingוַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִיand he sent meוָֽאֶתְּנָ֥הand I gave !ל֖וֹto himזְמָֽן׃a time
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וָאוֹמַר֮and I saidלַמֶּלֶךְ֒to the kingאִם־ifעַל־is onהַמֶּ֣לֶךְthe kingט֔וֹבgoodאִגְּרוֹת֙lettersיִתְּנוּ־let people giveלִ֔יto meעַֽל־toפַּחֲו֖וֹתthe governors ofעֵ֣בֶרbeyondהַנָּהָ֑רthe Riverאֲשֶׁר֙thatיַעֲבִיר֔וּנִיthey will allow to pass through meעַ֥דuntilאֲשֶׁר־thatאָב֖וֹאI will comeאֶל־toיְהוּדָֽה׃Judah
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וְאִגֶּ֡רֶתand a letterאֶל־toאָסָף֩Asaphשֹׁמֵ֨רthe keeper ofהַפַּרְדֵּ֜סthe forestאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichלַמֶּ֗לֶךְbelongs to the kingאֲשֶׁ֣רthatיִתֶּן־he will giveלִ֣יto the meעֵצִ֡יםwoodsלְ֠קָרוֹתto make beams forאֶת־obj.שַׁעֲרֵ֨יthe gates ofהַבִּירָ֤הthe citadelאֲשֶׁר־whichלַבַּ֙יִת֙belongs to the houseוּלְחוֹמַ֣תand for the wall ofהָעִ֔ירthe cityוְלַבַּ֖יִתand for the houseאֲשֶׁר־whichאָב֣וֹאI will goאֵלָ֑יוinto itוַיִּתֶּן־and he gave themלִ֣יto meהַמֶּ֔לֶךְthe kingכְּיַד־according to the hand ofאֱלֹהַ֖יGod myהַטּוֹבָ֥הthe goodעָלָֽי׃on me
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וַיִּשְׁמַ֞עand he heardסַנְבַלַּ֣טSanballatהַחֹרֹנִ֗יthe Horoniteוְטֽוֹבִיָּה֙and Tobiahהָעֶ֣בֶדthe servantהָֽעַמֹּנִ֔יthe Ammoniteוַיֵּ֥רַעand it was displeasingלָהֶ֖םto themרָעָ֣הdispleasureגְדֹלָ֑הgreatאֲשֶׁר־thatבָּ֥אhe had comeאָדָ֔םsomeoneלְבַקֵּ֥שׁto seekטוֹבָ֖הgoodלִבְנֵ֥יfor the people ofיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
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וָאָק֣וּם׀and I aroseלַ֗יְלָהnightאֲנִי֮Iוַאֲנָשִׁ֣ים׀and menמְעַט֮a fewעִמִּי֒with meוְלֹא־and notהִגַּ֣דְתִּיI had toldלְאָדָ֔םto anyoneמָ֗הwhat?אֱלֹהַי֙was God myנֹתֵ֣ןputtingאֶל־intoלִבִּ֔יheart myלַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto doלִירוּשָׁלִָ֑םfor Jerusalemוּבְהֵמָה֙and an animalאֵ֣יןthere notעִמִּ֔יwas with meכִּ֚יthatאִם־exceptהַבְּהֵמָ֔הthe animalאֲשֶׁ֥רwhichאֲנִ֖יIרֹכֵ֥בwas ridingבָּֽהּ׃on it
13
וָאֵצְאָ֨הand I went out !בְשַֽׁעַר־by the gate ofהַגַּ֜יאthe valleyלַ֗יְלָהnightוְאֶל־and toפְּנֵי֙the faceעֵ֣יןthe Spring ofהַתַּנִּ֔יןthe Dragonsוְאֶל־and toשַׁ֖עַרthe gate ofהָאַשְׁפֹּ֑תthe dungוָאֱהִ֨יand I wasשֹׂבֵ֜רexaminingבְּחוֹמֹ֤תon the walls ofיְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙Jerusalemאֲשֶׁר־whichהֵ֣ם׀ פְּרוּצִ֔יםthey were broken downוּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָand gates itsאֻכְּל֥וּthey had been consumedבָאֵֽשׁ׃by the fire
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וְהַסְּגָנִ֗יםand the officialsלֹ֤אnotיָדְעוּ֙they knewאָ֣נָהwhere?הָלַ֔כְתִּיhad I goneוּמָ֖הand what?אֲנִ֣יwas Iעֹשֶׂ֑הdoingוְלַיְּהוּדִ֨יםand to the Jewsוְלַכֹּהֲנִ֜יםand to the priestsוְלַחֹרִ֣יםand to the noblesוְלַסְּגָנִ֗יםand to the officialsוּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙and to the restעֹשֵׂ֣הof who was doingהַמְּלָאכָ֔הof the workעַד־untilכֵּ֖ןthusלֹ֥אnotהִגַּֽדְתִּי׃I had told
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וָאוֹמַ֣רand I saidאֲלֵהֶ֗םto themאַתֶּ֤םyouרֹאִים֙are seeingהָרָעָה֙the troubleאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichאֲנַ֣חְנוּweבָ֔הּare in itאֲשֶׁ֤רthatיְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙Jerusalemחֲרֵבָ֔הis desolateוּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָand gates itsנִצְּת֣וּthey have been burnedבָאֵ֑שׁwith the fireלְכ֗וּcomeוְנִבְנֶה֙so we may rebuildאֶת־obj.חוֹמַ֣תthe wall ofיְרוּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalemוְלֹא־and notנִהְיֶ֥הwe will beע֖וֹדagainחֶרְפָּֽה׃a reproach
18
וָאַגִּ֨ידand I toldלָהֶ֜םto themאֶת־obj.aboutיַ֣דthe hand ofאֱלֹהַ֗יGod myאֲשֶׁר־thatהִיא֙itטוֹבָ֣הwas goodעָלַ֔יon meוְאַף־and alsoדִּבְרֵ֥יthe words ofהַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe kingאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichאָֽמַר־he had spokenלִ֑יto meוַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙and they saidנָק֣וּםlet us ariseוּבָנִ֔ינוּand we will rebuildוַיְחַזְּק֥וּand they strengthenedיְדֵיהֶ֖םhands theirלַטּוֹבָֽה׃ פfor the good
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וַיִּשְׁמַע֩and he heardסַנְבַלַּ֨טSanballatהַחֹרֹנִ֜יthe Horoniteוְטֹבִיָּ֣ה׀and Tobiahהָעֶ֣בֶדthe servantהָֽעַמּוֹנִ֗יthe Ammoniteוְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙and Geshemהָֽעַרְבִ֔יthe Arabוַיַּלְעִ֣גוּand they mockedלָ֔נוּto usוַיִּבְז֖וּand they despisedעָלֵ֑ינוּon usוַיֹּאמְר֗וּand they saidמָֽה־what?הַדָּבָ֤רis the thingהַזֶּה֙the thisאֲשֶׁ֣רwhichאַתֶּ֣םyouעֹשִׂ֔יםare doingהַעַ֥ל¿ onהַמֶּ֖לֶךְthe kingאַתֶּ֥םare youמֹרְדִֽים׃rebelling
20
וָאָשִׁ֨יבand I brought backאוֹתָ֜םobj. themדָּבָ֗רwordוָאוֹמַ֤רand I saidלָהֶם֙to themאֱלֹהֵ֣יthe God ofהַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavensה֚וּאheיַצְלִ֣יחַֽhe will grant successלָ֔נוּto usוַאֲנַ֥חְנוּand weעֲבָדָ֖יוservants hisנָק֣וּםwe will ariseוּבָנִ֑ינוּand we will rebuildוְלָכֶ֗םand belongs to youאֵֽין־notחֵ֧לֶקa shareוּצְדָקָ֛הand a rightוְזִכָּר֖וֹןand a memorialבִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃in Jerusalem
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