Add parallel Print Page Options

Ac ym mis Nisan, yn yr ugeinfed flwyddyn i Artacsercses y brenin, yr oedd gwin o’i flaen ef: a mi a gymerais y gwin, ac a’i rhoddais i’r brenin. Ond ni byddwn arferol o fod yn drist ger ei fron ef. Am hynny y brenin a ddywedodd wrthyf, Paham y mae dy wynepryd yn drist, a thithau heb fod yn glaf? nid yw hyn ond tristwch calon. Yna yr ofnais yn ddirfawr: A dywedais wrth y brenin, Byw fyddo’r brenin yn dragywydd: paham na thristâi fy wyneb, pan fyddai y ddinas, tŷ beddrod fy nhadau, wedi ei dinistrio, a’i phyrth wedi eu hysu â thân? A’r brenin a ddywedodd wrthyf, Pa beth yr wyt ti yn ei ddymuno? Yna y gweddïais ar Dduw y nefoedd. A mi a ddywedais wrth y brenin, O rhynga bodd i’r brenin, ac od yw dy was yn gymeradwy ger dy fron di, ar i ti fy anfon i Jwda, i ddinas beddrod fy nhadau, fel yr adeiladwyf hi. A’r brenin a ddywedodd wrthyf, a’i wraig yn eistedd yn ei ymyl ef, Pa hyd y bydd dy daith di, a pha bryd y dychweli? A gwelodd y brenin yn dda fy anfon i, a minnau a nodais iddo amser. Yna y dywedais wrth y brenin, O rhynga bodd i’r brenin, rhodder i mi lythyrau at y tywysogion o’r tu hwnt i’r afon, fel y trosglwyddont fi nes fy nyfod i Jwda; A llythyr at Asaff, ceidwad coedwig y brenin, fel y rhoddo efe i mi goed i wneuthur trawstiau i byrth y palas y rhai a berthyn i’r tŷ, ac i fur y ddinas, ac i’r tŷ yr elwyf iddo. A’r brenin a roddodd i mi, fel yr oedd daionus law fy Nuw arnaf fi.

Yna y deuthum at y tywysogion o’r tu hwnt i’r afon, ac a roddais iddynt lythyrau y brenin. A’r brenin a anfonasai dywysogion y llu, a marchogion gyda mi. 10 Pan glybu Sanbalat yr Horoniad, a Thobeia y gwas, yr Ammoniad, y peth hyn, bu ddrwg iawn ganddynt, am ddyfod dyn i geisio daioni i feibion Israel. 11 Felly mi a ddeuthum i Jerwsalem, ac a fûm yno dridiau.

12 A chyfodais liw nos, myfi ac ychydig wŷr gyda mi; ac ni fynegais i neb beth a roddasai fy Nuw yn fy nghalon ei wneuthur yn Jerwsalem: ac anifail nid oedd gennyf, ond yr anifail yr oeddwn yn marchogaeth arno. 13 A mi a euthum allan liw nos, trwy borth y glyn, ar gyfer ffynnon y ddraig, ac at borth y dom; a deliais sylw ar furiau Jerwsalem y rhai oedd wedi eu dryllio, a’i phyrth y rhai oedd wedi eu hysu â thân. 14 Yna y tramwyais i borth y ffynnon, ac at bysgodlyn y brenin: ac nid oedd le i’r anifail oedd danaf i fyned heibio. 15 A mi a euthum i fyny gan lan yr afon liw nos, ac a ddeliais sylw ar y mur, ac a ddychwelais, ac a ddeuthum trwy borth y glyn, ac felly y troais yn ôl. 16 A’r penaethiaid ni wyddent i ba le yr aethwn i, na pheth yr oeddwn yn ei wneuthur; a hyd yn hyn ni fynegaswn ddim i’r Iddewon, nac i’r offeiriaid, nac i’r pendefigion, nac i’r penaethiaid, nac i’r rhan arall oedd yn gwneuthur y gwaith.

17 Yna y dywedais wrthynt, Yr ydych yn gweled yr adfyd yr ydym ynddo, fod Jerwsalem wedi ei dinistrio, a’i phyrth wedi eu llosgi â thân: deuwch, ac adeiladwn fur Jerwsalem, fel na byddom mwyach yn waradwydd. 18 Yna y mynegais iddynt fod llaw fy Nuw yn ddaionus tuag ataf; a geiriau y brenin hefyd y rhai a ddywedasai efe wrthyf. A hwy a ddywedasant, Cyfodwn, ac adeiladwn. Felly y cryfhasant eu dwylo i ddaioni. 19 Ond pan glybu Sanbalat yr Horoniad, a Thobeia y gwas, yr Ammoniad, a Gesem yr Arabiad, hyn, hwy a’n gwatwarasant ni, ac a’n dirmygasant, ac a ddywedasant, Pa beth yw hyn yr ydych chwi yn ei wneuthur? a wrthryfelwch chwi yn erbyn y brenin? 20 Yna yr atebais hwynt, ac y dywedais wrthynt, Duw y nefoedd, efe a’n llwydda ni; a ninnau ei weision ef a gyfodwn, ac a adeiladwn: ond nid oes i chwi ran, na chyfiawnder, na choffadwriaeth yn Jerwsalem.

Artaxerxes Sends Nehemiah to Jerusalem

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!(B) Why should my face not look sad when the city(C) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?(D)

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Then the king(E), with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates,(F) so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel(G) by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me,(H) the king granted my requests.(I) So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry(J) with me.

10 When Sanballat(K) the Horonite and Tobiah(L) the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.(M)

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days(N) 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate(O) toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate,(P) examining the walls(Q) of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate(R) and the King’s Pool,(S) but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.(T) Come, let us rebuild the wall(U) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(V) 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me(W) and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

19 But when Sanballat(X) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem(Y) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.(Z) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,(AA) but as for you, you have no share(AB) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:13 Or Serpent or Fig