2:1 在阿塔薛西斯王二十年「尼散」月，轮到我掌酒时，我拿起酒来，献给国王。我不愿在王面前现出忧愁，
In the month Nisan of the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when the wine was in my charge, I took some and offered it to the king. As I had never before been sad in his presence, 2:2 王却问我说：「你不像有病，为什么面带愁容﹖没有别的，你心中一定有愁事！」我很是惊慌，
the king asked me, "Why do you look sad? If you are not sick, you must be sad at heart." Though I was seized with great fear, 2:3 便向君王说：「大王万岁！我祖先坟墓所在的城池，成了废墟，城门为火焚毁，我怎能不面带愁容呢﹖」
I answered the king: "May the king live forever! How could I not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been eaten out by fire?" 2:4 王问我说：「你要求什么﹖」我向天上的天主祈祷之后，
The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven 2:5 回答君王说：「大王若看着好，你仆人在你面前若获得宠遇，就打发我回犹大去，到我祖先坟墓所在的城去，重修那城。」
and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it." 2:6 那时，皇后也在旁坐着；王便向我说：「你旅行需要多久﹖你几时能回来﹖」我向君王说了一个时期；王以为好，就准许我去。
Then the king, and the queen seated beside him, asked me how long my journey would take and when I would return. I set a date that was acceptable to him, and the king agreed that I might go. 2:7 我又向王说：「大王若看着好，请赐我一诏书，通知河西州长放我通行，直到犹大；
I asked the king further: "If it please the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of West-of-Euphrates, that they may afford me safe-conduct till I arrive in Judah; 2:8 另一诏书，通知护守王家园林的阿撒夫，令他给我木料，为做圣殿堡垒的门户、城墙和我要住的房舍之用。」赖我的天主慈善的手扶助我，君王都赐给了我。
also a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the royal park, that he may give me wood for timbering the gates of the temple-citadel and for the city wall and the house that I shall occupy." The king granted my requests, for the favoring hand of my God was upon me. 2:9 我一来到河西州长那里，便向他们呈上君王的诏书。同时君王还派了队长和马兵协助我。
Thus I proceeded to the governors of West-of-Euphrates and presented the king’s letters to them. The king also sent with me army officers and cavalry. 2:10 曷龙人桑巴拉特和作臣仆的阿孟人托彼雅，听说此事，很不高兴有人来为以色列子民谋图福利。
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite slave had heard of this, they were very much displeased that someone had come to seek the welfare of the Israelites. 2:11 我到了耶路撒冷，在那里停留了三天之后，
When I had arrived in Jerusalem, I first rested there for three days. 2:12 夜间，我和跟随我的几个人起来；当时我并没有告诉任何人，有关我的天主激发我的心，要为耶路撒冷所作的事；除了我骑的一头牲口外，也没有别的牲口。
Then I set out by night with only a few other men (for I had not told anyone what my God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem) and with no other animals but my own mount. 2:13 夜间我出来，经过谷门到了龙泉前，又到了粪门，观察耶路撒冷城墙那里有缺口，并见城门已被火焚毁。
I rode out at night by the Valley Gate, passed by the Dragon Spring, and came to the Dung Gate, observing how the walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins and its gates had been eaten out by fire. 2:14 以后，又到了泉门，到了王池，但那地方不能骑我的牲口过去，
Then I passed over to the Spring Gate and to the King’s Pool. Since there was no room here for my mount to pass with me astride, 2:15 遂在夜间，由山涧攀登而上，视察了城垣，然后转身，由谷门进来，回了家。
I continued on foot up the wadi by night, inspecting the wall all the while till I once more reached the Valley Gate, by which I went back in. 2:16 我到过那里，或作什么，官员都不知道；直到此时，我也没有告诉过犹太人、司祭、权贵、官员和其它工作人员。
The magistrates knew nothing of where I had gone or what I was doing, for as yet I had disclosed nothing to the Jews, neither to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the magistrates, nor to the others who would be concerned about the matter. 2:17 于是我向他们说：「你们都清楚我们所处的苦境：耶路撒冷成了废墟，城门为火焚毁。来，让我们重修耶路撒冷的城垣，免得再受人耻笑！」
Afterward I said to them: "You see the evil plight in which we stand: how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been gutted by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be an object of derision!" 2:18 随后，我又向他们报告：我的天主慈善的手怎样扶助了我，以及君王向我说过什么话。他们遂说道：「起来，大家一同修建！」众人勇气倍增，遂着手进行。
Then I explained to them how the favoring hand of my God had rested upon me, and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us be up and building!" And they undertook the good work with vigor. 2:19 当曷龙人桑巴拉特、作臣仆的阿孟人托彼雅，和阿剌伯人革笙听说这事，就讥笑我们，侮辱我们说：「你们在那里干什么﹖要背叛君王吗﹖」
On hearing of this, Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite slave, and Geshem the Arab mocked us and ridiculed us. "What is this that you are about?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" 2:20 我答复他们说：「天上的天主必要使我们成功；我们是他的仆役，要动工兴建；至于你们，在耶路撒冷无分无权，也无可留念的事物。」
My answer to them was this: "It is the God of heaven who will grant us success. We, his servants, shall set about the rebuilding; but for you there is to be neither share nor claim nor memorial in Jerusalem."