Nehemiah 2
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, he selected wine, and I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never before been sad in his presence.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that the wine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave [it] to the king: and there was not another before him.
2 But the king said to me, “Why is your face so sad? You do not appear to be ill. This must be sadness of heart.” Then I became very much afraid.
And the king said to me, Why is your countenance sad, and do you not control yourself? and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed,
3 I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad? The city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”
and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be said, forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gates have been devoured with fire?
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you want me to do?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And the king said to me, For what do you ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
5 I replied to the king, “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant has done well in your sight, you could send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, and if your servant shall have found favour in your sight, [I ask] that [you] would send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuild it.
6 The king replied to me (and the queen was also sitting beside him), “How long shall you be away and when will you return?” The king was glad to send me when I gave him the dates.
And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will your journey be, and when will you return? and [the proposal] was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time.
7 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors in the Province Beyond the River so that they may permit me to pass through their territories on my way to Judah.
And I said to the king, If [it seem] good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so as to forward me till I come to Juda;
8 May there also be a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress next to the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house in which I will live.” So because the good hand of God was on me, the king granted me my requests.
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he may give me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shall enter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of God [was upon me].
9 I came to the governors in the Province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.
And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.)
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, they were greatly displeased that someone had come who was seeking to help the people of Israel.
And Sanaballat the Aronite heard [it], and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come to seek good for the children of Israel.
11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me, other than the one I was riding.
And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put into my heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon.
13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate, toward the Jackal's Well and to the Dung Gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken open, and the wooden gates were destroyed by fire.
And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well of fig trees, and to the dung-gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying, and her gates were devoured with fire.
14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool. The place was too narrow for the animal I was riding to pass through.
And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room for the beast to pass under me.
15 So I went up that night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passed through the gate of the valley, and returned.
16 The rulers did not know where I went or what I did, and I had not yet informed the Jews, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the rulers, nor the rest who did the work.
And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I told [it] not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the rest [of the men] who wrought the works.
17 I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so we will no longer be in disgrace.”
Then I said to them, You see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.
18 I told them that the good hand of my God was on me and also about the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of the king which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for the good [work].
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us, and they said, “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian, heard [it], and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, What [is] this thing that you are doing? are you revolting against the king?
20 Then I answered them, “The God of heaven will give us success. We are his servants and we will arise and build. But you have no share, no right, and no historic claim in Jerusalem.”
And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and we his servants are pure, and we will build: but you have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
