1
H2320
And it came to pass in the month
H5212
Nisan,
H6242
in the twentieth
H8141
year
H783
of Artaxerxes
H4428
the king,
H3196
that wine
H6440
was at the face of
H5375 [H8799]
him: and I took up
H3196
the wine,
H5414 [H8799]
and gave
H4428
it to the king.
H7451
Now I had not in times past been sad
H6440
in his face.
2
H4428
Therefore the king
H559 [H8799]
said
H6440
to me, Why is thy face
H7451
sad,
H2470 [H8802]
seeing thou art not sick?
H7455
this is nothing but sadness
H3820
of heart.
H3966
Then I was very
H7235 [H8687]
greatly
H3372 [H8799]
afraid,
3
H559 [H8799]
And said
H4428
to the king,
H4428
Let the king
H2421 [H8799]
live
H5769
to the age:
H6440
why should not my face
H3415 [H8799]
be sad,
H5892
when the city,
H1004
the place
H1
of my fathers'
H6913
burying-places,
H2720
lieth waste,
H8179
and its gates
H398 [H8795]
are consumed
H784
with fire?
4
H4428
Then the king
H559 [H8799]
said
H1245 [H8764]
to me, For what dost thou make request?
H6419 [H8691]
So I prayed
H430
to the God
H8064
of heaven.
5
H559 [H8799]
And I said
H4428
to the king,
H2895 [H8804]
If it should please
H4428
the king,
H5650
and if thy servant
H3190 [H8799]
hath found favour
H6440
in thy sight,
H7971 [H8799]
that thou wouldest send
H3063
me to Judah,
H5892
to the city
H1
of my fathers'
H6913
burying-places,
H1129 [H8799]
that I may build it.
6
H4428
And the king
H559 [H8799]
said
H7694
to me, (the queen
H3427 [H8802]
also sitting
H681
by him,
H4109
) For how long shall thy journey
H7725 [H8799]
be? and when wilt thou return?
H3190 H6440 [H8799]
So it pleased
H4428
the king
H7971 [H8799]
to send
H5414 [H8799]
me; and I set
H2165
him a time.
7
H559 [H8799]
Moreover I said
H4428
to the king,
H2895 [H8804]
If it should please
H4428
the king,
H107
let letters
H5414 [H8799]
be given
H6346
me to the governors
H5676
beyond
H5104
the river,
H5674 [H8686]
that they may let me pass through
H935 [H8799]
till I come
H3063
into Judah;
8
H107
And a letter
H623
to Asaph
H8104 [H8802]
the keeper
H4428
of the king's
H6508
orchard,
H5414 [H8799]
that he may give
H6086
me timber
H7136 [H8763]
to make beams
H8179
for the gates
H1002
of the palace
H1004
which is near to the house,
H2346
and for the wall
H5892
of the city,
H1004
and for the house
H935 [H8799]
that I shall enter.
H4428
And the king
H5414 [H8799]
granted
H2896
me, according to the good
H3027
hand
H430
of my God upon me.
9
H935 [H8799]
Then I came
H6346
to the governors
H5676
beyond
H5104
the river,
H5414 [H8799]
and gave
H4428
them the king's
H107
letters.
H4428
Now the king
H7971 [H8799]
had sent
H8269
captains
H2428
of the army
H6571
and horsemen with me.
10
H5571
When Sanballat
H2772
the Horonite,
H2900
and Tobiah
H5650
the servant,
H5984
the Ammonite,
H8085 [H8799]
heard
H3415 [H8799]
of it, it grieved
H7451 H1419
them exceedingly
H935 [H8804]
that there had come
H120
a man
H1245 [H8763]
to seek
H2896
the welfare
H1121
of the sons
H3478
of Israel.
12
H6965 [H8799]
And I arose
H3915
in the night,
H4592
I and some
H4592
few
H582
men
H5046 [H8689]
with me; neither told
H120
I any man
H430
what my God
H5414 [H8802]
had put
H3820
in my heart
H6213 [H8800]
to do
H3389
at Jerusalem:
H929
neither was there any beast
H929
with me, except the beast
H7392 [H8802]
that I rode upon.
13
H3318 [H8799]
And I went out
H3915
by night
H8179
by the gate
H1516
of the valley,
H6440
even at the face of
H8577
the dragon
H5869 H5886 [H8677]
well,
H830
and to the dung
H8179
port,
H7663 H7665 [H8802]
and viewed
H2346
the walls
H3389
of Jerusalem,
H6555 [H8803]
which were broken down,
H8179
and their gates
H398 [H8795]
were consumed
H784
with fire.
14
H5674 [H8799]
Then I went on
H8179
to the gate
H5869
of the fountain,
H4428
and to the king's
H1295
pool:
H4725
but there was no place
H929
for the beast
H5674 [H8800]
that was under me to pass.
15
H5927 [H8802]
Then I went up
H3915
in the night
H5158
by the brook,
H7663 H7665 [H8802]
and viewed
H2346
the wall,
H7725 [H8799]
and turned back,
H935 [H8799]
and entered
H8179
by the gate
H1516
of the valley,
H7725 [H8799]
and so returned.
16
H5461
And the rulers
H3045 [H8804]
knew
H1980 [H8804]
not where I went,
H6213 [H8802]
or what I did;
H3651
neither had I as yet
H5046 [H8689]
told
H3064
it to the Judeans,
H3548
nor to the priests,
H2715
nor to the nobles,
H5461
nor to the rulers,
H3499
nor to the rest
H6213 [H8802]
that did
H4399
the work.
17
H559 [H8799]
Then said
H7200 [H8802]
I to them, Ye see
H7451
the distress
H3389
that we are in, how Jerusalem
H2720
lieth waste,
H8179
and its gates
H3341 [H8738]
are burned
H784
with fire:
H3212 [H8798]
come,
H1129 [H8799]
and let us build up
H2346
the wall
H3389
of Jerusalem,
H2781
that we may be no more a reproach.
18
H5046 [H8686]
Then I told
H3027
them of the hand
H430
of my God
H2896
which was good
H4428
upon me; as also the king's
H1697
words
H559 [H8804]
that he had spoken
H559 [H8799]
to me. And they said,
H6965 [H8799]
Let us rise
H1129 [H8804]
and build.
H2388 [H8762]
So they strengthened
H3027
their hands
H2896
for this good work.
19
H5571
But when Sanballat
H2772
the Horonite,
H2900
and Tobiah
H5650
the servant,
H5984
the Ammonite,
H1654
and Geshem
H6163
the Arabian,
H8085 [H8799]
heard
H3932 [H8686]
it, they mocked,
H959 [H8799]
and despised
H559 [H8799]
us, and said,
H1697
What is this thing
H6213 [H8802]
that ye do?
H4775 [H8802]
will ye rebel
H4428
against the king?
20
H7725 H1697 [H8686]
Then I answered
H559 [H8799]
them, and said
H430
to them, The God
H8064
of heaven,
H6743 [H8686]
he will prosper
H5650
us; therefore we his servants
H6965 [H8799]
will arise
H1129 [H8804]
and build:
H2506
but ye have no portion,
H6666
nor right,
H2146
nor memorial,
H3389
in Jerusalem.