But in all this time was not I at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon came I unto the king, and after certain days obtained I leave of the king:
But during all this time, I wasn't in Jerusalem. In the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I went to see the king, and after some time I asked for and received permission from the king to leave.
Nehemiah is explaining that he had to leave Jerusalem to return to King Artaxerxes, but then got permission to come back.
📚 Historical Context
Nehemiah was serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia (mistakenly called Babylon here) when he first received permission to rebuild Jerusalem's walls around 445 BC. After completing the initial rebuilding work, he returned to serve the king as required, but then sought permission for a second visit to Jerusalem. This verse refers to his absence from Jerusalem during his service to the Persian court.
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