Nehemiah 2:5

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

and then said unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, and if thy servant might find favour before thee, That thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I might build it.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”

Hebrew Names Version
I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant have found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Yehudah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it.

King James Version
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

English Standard Version
And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it."

New Century Version
Then I answered the king, "If you are willing and if I have pleased you, send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so I can rebuild it."

New English Translation
and said to the king, "If the king is so inclined and if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it."

Amplified Bible
I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, [I ask] that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, so that I may rebuild it."

New American Standard Bible
Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, I request that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

World English Bible
I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant have found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And sayde vnto the King, If it please the King, and if thy seruant haue found fauour in thy sight, I desire that thou wouldest send me to Iudah vnto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I may buyld it.

Legacy Standard Bible
I said to the king, "If it is good for the king, and if your servant is good before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

Berean Standard Bible
and answered the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it."

Contemporary English Version
Then I told the king, "Sir, if it's all right with you, please send me back to Judah, so that I can rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried."

Complete Jewish Bible
then said to the king, "If it pleases the king, if your servant has won your favor, send me to Y'hudah, to the city of my ancestors' tombs, so that I can rebuild it."

Darby Translation
And I said to the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then I answered the king, "If it would please the king, and if I have been good to you, please send me to Jerusalem, the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried. I want to go there and rebuild that city."

George Lamsa Translation
And I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of David, to my fathers sepulchres, that I may rebuild it.

Good News Translation
and then I said to the emperor, "If Your Majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city."

Lexham English Bible
Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' burial sites, so that I may rebuild it."

Literal Translation
and I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah to the city of my fathers' tombs, so that I might build it.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde vnto the kynge: yf it please the kynge, and yf thy seruaunt be fauoured in thy sighte, I beseke the sende me in to Iuda vnto ye cite of my fathers buryall, that I maye buylde it.

American Standard Version
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

Bible in Basic English
And I said to the king, If it is the king's pleasure, and if your servant has your approval, send me to Judah, to the town where the bodies of my fathers are at rest, so that I may take in hand the building of it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And sayd vnto the king: If it please the king, and if thy seruaunt haue founde fauour in thy sight, sende me vnto Iuda vnto the citie of my fathers burialles, that I may buylde it.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And I said unto the king: 'If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.'

King James Version (1611)
And I said vnto the king, If it please the king, and if thy seruant haue found fauour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me vnto Iudah vnto the City of my fathers sepulchres, that I may build it.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said to the king, If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant shall have found favour in thy sight, I ask that thou wouldest send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.

English Revised Version
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide to the kyng, If it semeth good to the kyng, and if it plesith thi seruauntis bifor thi face, Y biseche, that thou sende me in to Judee, to the citee of the sepulcre of my fadir, and Y schal bilde it.

Update Bible Version
And I said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if your slave has found favor in your sight, that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may build it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I said to the king, If it should please the king, and if thy servant hath found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchers, that I may build it.

New King James Version
And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

New Living Translation
I replied, "If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried."

New Life Bible
And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your eyes, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves. Let me build it again."

New Revised Standard
Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, so that I may rebuild it."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I said to the king: If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant hath found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldst send me into Judea to the city of the sepulchre of my father, and I will build it.

Revised Standard Version
And I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may rebuild it."

Young's Literal Translation
and say to the king, `If to the king [it be] good, and if thy servant be pleasing before thee, that thou send me unto Judah, unto the city of the graves of my fathers, and I built it.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
I said to the king, "If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it."

Contextual Overview

¹ And it came to pass, in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that, wine, was before him, - so I took up the wine, and gave unto the king, and I had never been sad before him. ² Then said the king unto me, Wherefore is thy countenance sad, seeing that, thou, art not sick? this is nothing else, but sadness of heart. Then feared I exceedingly, ³ and said unto the king - Let the, king, unto times age-abiding, live! Wherefore should my countenance, not be sad, when, the city - the place of the sepulchres of my fathers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? ⁴ Then the king said to me, Concerning what, is it, thou, wouldst make request? So I prayed unto the God of the heavens, ⁵ and then said unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, and if thy servant might find favour before thee, That thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I might build it. ⁶ And the king said unto me, the queen, also sitting beside him, For how long would be thy journey? and when wouldst thou return? So it seemed good before the king to send me, and I set him a time. ⁷ Then said I unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, may, letters, be given me, unto the pashas Beyond the River, - that they may convey me over, until I come into Judah; ⁸ also a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the park that belongeth unto the king, that he may give me timber to build up the gates of the fortress which pertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house whereinto I shall enter. And the king gave me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If it please: Ezra 5:17, Esther 1:19, Esther 5:8, Esther 7:3, Esther 8:5

and if thy: Ruth 2:13, 2 Samuel 14:22, Proverbs 3:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 30:27 - favour Genesis 39:4 - Joseph Genesis 47:30 - General Nehemiah 13:6 - after certain days Isaiah 58:12 - build

Cross-References

Genesis 2:9
And Yahweh God, caused to spring up, out of the ground, every tree pleasant to the sight and good for food, - and the tree of life, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the one, is Pishon, - the same, is that which surroundeth all the land of Havilah, where is gold;

Genesis 2:12
moreover the gold of that and, is good, - there, is the bdellium, and the beryl stone,

Genesis 3:23
So Yahweh God put him forth from the garden of Eden, - to till the ground wherefrom he had been taken.

Genesis 4:2
And she went on to hear his brother, Abel, - and Abel became a feeder of sheep, whereas Cain, was a tiller of the round.

Genesis 4:12
Though thou till the ground, it shall not go on to give its vigour to thee. A wanderer and a fugitive, shalt thou be in the earth.

Job 5:10
Who giveth rain, upon the face of the earth, and sendeth forth waters, over the face of the open fields;

Psalms 104:14
Who causeth the grass to shoot forth for the cattle, And the herb, for the service of man, That he may bring forth food out of the earth;

Psalms 135:7
Causing vapours to ascend from the end of the earth, - Lightnings for the rain, hath he made, bringing forth wind out of his treasuries.

Jeremiah 14:22
Are there, among the vanities of the nations senders of rain? Or can, the heavens themselves, give myriad drops? Art not, thou, he, O Yahweh our God? Therefore will we wait for thee, For, thou, hast made all these.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And I said unto the king; if it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight,.... He submits what he had to say wholly to the pleasure of the king, and puts it upon his unmerited favour, and not on any desert of his own:

that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it; the wall of it, and the houses in it; the favour was, that he might have leave to go thither, and set about such a work, for which he was so much concerned.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 2:5. The city of my fathers' sepulchres — The tombs of the dead were sacred among the ancients, and nothing could appear to them more detestable than disturbing the ashes or remains of the dead. Nehemiah knew that in mentioning this circumstance he should strongly interest the feelings of the Persian king.