Nehemia 1:9

1:9 But if you repent ¹  and obey ²  my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed people are in the most remote location, ³  I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.’

Nehemia 1:11--2:1

1:11 Please, ⁴  O Lord, listen attentively ⁵  to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who take pleasure in showing respect ⁶  to your name. Grant your servant success today and show compassion to me ⁷  in the presence of this man.”

Now ⁸  I was cupbearer for the king.

Nehemiah Is Permitted to Go to Jerusalem

2:1 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, ⁹  I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously ¹⁰  I had not been depressed ¹¹  in the king’s presence. ¹² 

Nehemia 2:18

2:18 Then I related to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what ¹³  the king had said to me. Then they replied, “Let’s begin rebuilding right away!” ¹⁴  So they readied themselves ¹⁵  for this good project.

Nehemia 7:5

7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather the leaders, ¹⁶  the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records ¹⁷  of those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that record: ¹⁸ 

Nehemia 8:15

8:15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message ¹⁹  in all their cities and in Jerusalem: ²⁰  “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”

Nehemia 12:31

12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed ²¹  on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.

[1:9]  ¹ tn Heb “turn to me.”

[1:9]  ² tn Heb “keep.” See the note on the word “obey” in Neh 1:5.

[1:9]  ³ tn Heb “at the end of the heavens.”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn The interjection אָנָּא (’anna’) is an emphatic term of entreaty: “please!” (BDB 58 s.v.; HALOT 69-70 s.v.). This term is normally reserved for pleas for mercy from God in life-and-death situations (2 Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3; Pss 116:4; 118:25; Jonah 1:14; 4:2) and for forgiveness of heinous sins that would result or have resulted in severe judgment from God (Exod 32:31; Dan 9:4; Neh 1:5, 11).

[1:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “let your ear be attentive.”

[1:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “fear.”

[1:11]  ⁷ tn Heb “grant compassion.” The words “to me” are supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness and style in English.

[1:11]  ⁸ tn The vav (ו) on וַאֲנִי (va’ani, “Now, I”) introduces a disjunctive parenthetical clause that provides background information to the reader.

[2:1]  ⁹ tc The translation reads with the LXX וְיַיִן לְפָנַי (vÿyayin lÿfanay, “and wine before me”) rather than יַיִן לְפָנָיו (yayin lÿfanayv, “wine before him”) of the MT. The initial vav (ו) on original וְיַיִן probably dropped out due to haplograpy or orthographic confusion with the two yods (י) which follow. The final vav on לְפָנָיו in the MT was probably added due to dittography with the vav on the immediately following word.

[2:1]  ¹⁰ tc The translation reads לְפָנֵים (lÿfanim, “formerly”) rather than לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “to his face”) of the MT. The MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.

[2:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.

[2:1]  ¹² tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps one should read לְפָנָיו (lÿfanayv, “before him”; cf. the MT) in addition to לְפָנִים (lÿfanim, “formerly”). See preceding note on the word “previously.”

[2:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “the words of the king which he had spoken to me.”

[2:18]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Arise! Let us rebuild!”

[2:18]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “strengthened their hands.”

[7:5]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “nobles”; NCV “important men.”

[7:5]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the book of genealogy.”

[7:5]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “in it”; the referent (the genealogical record) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “a voice.”

[8:15]  ²⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:31]  ²¹ tc The translation reads וְהָאַחַת הֹלֶכֶת (vÿha’akhat holekhet, “and one was proceeding”) rather than the MT reading וְתַהֲלֻכֹת (vÿtahalukhot, “and processions”).