Nehemiah 2 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

AKJV_Strongs⁽ⁱ⁾

1 H1961 And it came H2320 to pass in the month H5212 Nisan, H6242 in the twentieth H8141 year H783 of Artaxerxes H4428 the king, H3196 that wine H6440 was before H5375 him: and I took H3196 up the wine, H5414 and gave H4428 it to the king. H1961 Now I had not been H7451 beforetime sad H6440 in his presence.

2 H4428 Why the king H559 said H4069 to me, Why H6440 is your countenance H7451 sad, H2470 seeing you are not sick? H2088 this H369 is nothing H7455 else but sorrow H3820 of heart. H3966 Then I was very H7235 sore H3372 afraid,

3 H559 And said H4428 to the king, H4428 Let the king H2421 live H5769 for ever: H4069 why H6440 should not my countenance H7489 be sad, H834 when H5892 the city, H1004 the place H1 of my fathers’ H6913 sepulchers, H2720 lies waste, H8179 and the gates H398 thereof are consumed H784 with fire?

4 H4428 Then the king H559 said H4100 to me, For what H1245 do you make request? H6419 So I prayed H430 to the God H8064 of heaven.

5 H559 And I said H4428 to the king, H518 If H2895 it please H4428 the king, H518 and if H5650 your servant H3190 have found favor H6440 in your sight, H7971 that you would send H3063 me to Judah, H5892 to the city H1 of my fathers’ H6913 sepulchers, H1129 that I may build it.

6 H4428 And the king H559 said H7694 to me, (the queen H3427 also sitting H5704 by him,) For how H5704 long H4109 shall your journey H4970 be? and when H7725 will you return? H3190 So it pleased H4428 the king H7971 to send H5414 me; and I set H2165 him a time.

7 H559 Moreover I said H4428 to the king, H2895 If it please H4428 the king, H107 let letters H5414 be given H6346 me to the governors H5676 beyond H5104 the river, H5674 that they may convey H5674 me over H5704 till H935 I come H413 into H3063 Judah;

8 H107 And a letter H623 to Asaph H8104 the keeper H4428 of the king’s H6508 forest, H5414 that he may give H6086 me timber H7136 to make beams H8179 for the gates H1002 of the palace H834 which H1004 appertained to the house, H2346 and for the wall H5892 of the city, H1004 and for the house H935 that I shall enter H5921 into. H4428 And the king H5414 granted H2896 me, according to the good H3027 hand H430 of my God on me.

9 H935 Then I came H6346 to the governors H5676 beyond H5104 the river, H5414 and gave H4428 them the king’s H107 letters. H4428 Now the king H7971 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 heard H7489 of it, it grieved H1419 them exceedingly H935 that there was come H120 a man H1245 to seek H2896 the welfare H1121 of the children H3478 of Israel.

11 H935 So I came H3389 to Jerusalem, H8033 and was there H7969 three H3117 days.

12 H6965 And I arose H3915 in the night, H4592 I and some H4592 few H582 men H3808 with me; neither H5046 told H120 I any man H4100 what H430 my God H5414 had put H3820 in my heart H6213 to do H3389 at Jerusalem: H369 neither H929 was there any beast H3588 with me, save H518 H929 the beast H7392 that I rode on.

13 H3318 And I went H3915 out by night H8179 by the gate H1516 of the valley, H413 even before H6440 H8577 the dragon H5869 well, H830 and to the dung H8179 port, H7663 and viewed H2346 the walls H3389 of Jerusalem, H834 which H6555 were broken H8179 down, and the gates H398 thereof were consumed H784 with fire.

14 H5674 Then I went H413 on H8179 to the gate H5869 of the fountain, H4428 and to the king’s H1295 pool: H369 but there was no H4725 place H929 for the beast H8478 that was under H5674 me to pass.

15 H5927 Then went H3915 I up in the night H5158 by the brook, H7663 and viewed H2346 the wall, H7725 and turned H7725 back, H935 and entered H8179 by the gate H1516 of the valley, H7725 and so returned.

16 H5461 And the rulers H3045 knew H575 not where H1980 I went, H4100 or what H6213 I did; H3808 neither H5704 had I as yet H3651 H5046 told H3064 it to the Jews, H3548 nor to the priests, H2715 nor to the nobles, H5461 nor to the rulers, H3499 nor to the rest H6213 that did H4399 the work.

17 H559 Then said H7200 I to them, You see H7451 the distress H834 that we are in, how H3389 Jerusalem H2720 lies waste, H8179 and the gates H3341 thereof are burned H784 with fire: H3212 come, H1129 and let us build H2346 up the wall H3389 of Jerusalem, H3808 that we be no H5750 more H2781 a reproach.

18 H5046 Then I told H3027 them of the hand H430 of my God H834 which H2896 was good H637 on me; as also H4428 the king’s H1697 words H559 that he had spoken H559 to me. And they said, H6965 Let us rise H1129 up and build. H2388 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 heard H3932 it, they laughed H959 us to scorn, and despised H559 us, and said, H4100 What H2088 is this H1697 thing H6213 that you do? H4775 will you rebel H5921 against H4428 the king?

20 H7725 Then answered H1697 H559 I them, and said H430 to them, The God H8064 of heaven, H6743 he will prosper H5650 us; therefore we his servants H6965 will arise H1129 and build: H369 but you have no H2506 portion, H6666 nor right, H2146 nor memorial, H3389 in Jerusalem.