King James Version

Nehemiah 2:15

Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

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Hebrew

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וָאֱהִ֨יvaehiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.עֹלֶ֤הolehascend upעָלָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “ascend up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5927to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurativearise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, [phrase] shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make t…בַנַּ֨חַל֙vanachalin brookנַחַלpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “in brook”, the ordinary formH5158a stream, especially a winter torrent; (by implication) a (narrow) valley (in which a brook runs); also a shaft (of a mine)brook, flood, river, stream, valley.לַ֔יְלָהlaylahnightלַיִלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “night”, the ordinary formH3915properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity(mid-)night (season).וָאֱהִ֥יvaehiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.שֹׂבֵ֖רsoverhopeשָׂבַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “hope”, a verb used as a describing wordH7663to scrutinize; by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience)hope, tarry, view, wait.בַּחוֹמָ֑הbachomahin wallחוֹמָהpreposition, with the article, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “in wall”, the ordinary formH2346a wall of protectionwall, walled.וָאָשׁ֗וּבvaashuvand againשׁוּבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and again”, the next action in the storyH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…וָאָב֛וֹאvaavoand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…בְּשַׁ֥עַרbeshaarin doorשַׁעַרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in door”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8179an opening, i.e. door or gatecity, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er).הַגַּ֖יְאhagaythe valleyגַּיְאdefinite article, noun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “the valley”, the ordinary formH1516a gorge (from its lofty sides; hence, narrow, but not a gully or winter-torrent)valley.וָאָשֽׁוּבvaashuvand againשׁוּבconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “and again”, the next action in the storyH7725to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again,…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Then went I up in the night in the valley, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.

Young’s Literal Translation

and I am going up through the brook by night, and am measuring about the wall, and turn back, and come in through the gate of the valley, and turn back.

World English Bible

Then I went up in the night by the brook and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.

Darby Translation

And I went up in the night through the valley, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the valley-gate and returned.

Douay-Rheims

And I went up in the night by the torrent, and viewed the wall, and going back I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)