The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languges. VVith moste profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as may appeare in the epistle to the reader

CHAP. II.

1 After Nehemiáh had obteined letters of Artaxerxes, 11. He came to Ierusalém. 17 And buylded the walles.

1 NOw in the monetha 1.1 Nisán in the twen∣tieth yere of Kingb 1.2 Artahsháshte, the wine (stode) before him, and I toke vp the wine, and gaue it vnto the King, now I was not (before time) sad in his presence.

2 And the King said vnto me, Why is thy coun tenance sad, seing thou art not sicke? this is nothing, but sorowe of heart. Then was I so re afraied,

3 And I said to the King, God saue the King for euer: why shulde not my countenance be sad, when the citie (and) house of the sepul chres of my fathers lieth waste and the gates thereof are deuoured with fyre?

4 And the King said vnto me, For what thing do est thou require? Then I praiedc 1.3 to the God of heauen,

5 And said vnto the King, If it please the King and if thy seruant haue founde fauour in thy sight, (I desire) that thou woldest send me to Iudáh vnto the citie of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I may buylde it.

6 And the King said vnto me, [the quene also sitting by him] How long shal thy iourney be? and when wilt thou come againe? So it pleased the King, and he sent me, ād I set him a time.

7 After I said vnto the King, If it please the King, let them giue me letters to the captai∣nes beyonde the“ 1.4 Riuer, that they may con∣uaye me ouer, til I come into Iudáh,

8 And letters vnto Asáph the keper of the Kings' parke, that he may giue me timber to* 1.5 buylde the gates of the palace [which apper teined to the house] and for the walles of the citie, and for the house that I shal entre into. And the King gaue me according tod 1.6 the good hand of my God vpon me.

9 ¶ Then came I to the captaines beyond the Riuer, and gaue them the Kings letters. And the King had sent captaines of the armie and horsmen with me.

10 Bute 1.7 Sanballát the Horonite, and Tobiáh a seruant an Ammonite heard it, and it grie∣ued them sore, that there was come a man which soght the wealth of the children of Israél.

11 So I came to Ierusalém, and was there thre dayes.

12 And I rose in the night, I, & a few men with me: for I tolde no man, what God had put in mine heart to do at Ierusalém, and there was not a beast with me, saue the beast whereon I rode.

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and (came) before the draggon well, and to the dung porte, and vewed the walles of Ierusalém, how they were broken downe, and the portes thereof deuoured with the fyre.

14 Then I went forthe vnto the gate of the“ 1.8 fountaine, and to the Kings fish poole, and there was no roume for the beast that was vnder me to passe.

15 Then went I vp in the night by the broke,

and vewed the wall, and turned backe, and comming backe, I entred by the gate of the valley and returned.

16 And the rulers knewe not whether I was gone, nor what I did, nether did I as yettel it vnto the Iewes, nor to the Priests, nor to the noblemen, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that laboured in the worke.

17 Afterward I said vnto them, Ye se the mise∣rie that we are in, how Ierusalém lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fyre: co me and let vs buylde the wall of Ierusalém, that we be no moref 1.9 a reproche.

18 Then I tolde them of the hand of my God, [which was good ouerme] and also of the Kings wordes that he had spoken vnto me. And they said, Let vs rise, and buylde. So they g 1.10 strengthened their hand to good.

19 But when Sanballát the Horonite, and To∣biáh the seruāt an Ammonite, andh 1.11 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Arabian heard it they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vs and de spised vs, and said, What a thing is this that ye do? Wil yei 1.12 rebell against thee King?

20 Then answered I them, and said to thē, The God of heauen, he wil prosper vs, and we his seruants wil rise vp and buylde: but as for you ye haue no porciō nor right, nork 1.13 memorial in Ierusalém.

Notes

• a 1.1

  which was the first moneth of the yere and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Marche and part of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• b 1.2

  who is also called 〈◊〉〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 7. 1.
• c 1.3

  I desired God in mine heart to prosper mine en∣terprise.
• “ 1.4

  Or, Euphrates.
• * 1.5

  "Or, paradise.
• d 1.6

  As God moued me to aske, and as he gaue me good successe therein.
• e 1.7

  These were great enemies to the Iewes and labored alwaies bothe by force and subtilitie to ouercome them, and Tobiáh be∣cause his wife was a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 affaires and so wroght them great trouble.
• “ 1.8

  Or, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• f 1.9

  That is contem ned of other na∣tions, as thoght God had forsakē vs.
• g 1.10

  They were incouraged and gaue them selues to do wel, and to trauel in this worthy enter∣prise.
• h 1.11

  These were the chief gouer∣ners vnder the King of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 beyonde Euphra 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• i 1.12

  Thus the wicked when 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wil 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the chil∣dren of God, euer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 treason vnto their charge, bo∣the because it ma keth them moste odious to the worlde, and also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of princes moste against them
• k 1.13

  Nether ye are of the nomber of the children of God (to who∣me he hathe ap∣pointed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 onely) nether did anie of your 〈◊〉〈◊〉 euer feare God.