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

ASV_Strongs⁽ⁱ⁾

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 when wine H6440 was before H5375 him, that I took up H3196 the wine, H5414 and gave H4428 it unto the king. H7451 Now I had not been beforetime sad H6440 in his presence.

2 H4428 And the king H559 said H6440 unto me, Why is thy countenance H7451 sad, H2470 seeing thou art not sick? H7455 this is nothing else but sorrow H3820 of heart. H3966 Then I was very H7235 sore H3372 afraid.

3 H559 And I said H4428 unto the king, H4428 Let the king H2421 live H5769 for ever: H6440 why should not my countenance H3415 be sad, H5892 when the city, H1004 the place H1 of my fathers' H6913 sepulchres, H2720 lieth waste, H8179 and the gates H398 thereof are consumed H784 with fire?

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

5 H559 And I said H4428 unto the king, H2895 If it please H4428 the king, H5650 and if thy servant H3190 have found favor H6440 in thy sight, H7971 that thou wouldest send H3063 me unto Judah, H5892 unto the city H1 of my fathers' H6913 sepulchres, H1129 that I may build it.

6 H4428 And the king H559 said H7694 unto me (the queen H3427 also sitting H681 by him,) H4109 For how long shall thy journey H7725 be? and when wilt thou 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 unto 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 let me pass through H935 till I come H3063 unto Judah;

8 H107 and a letter H623 unto 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 castle H1004 which appertaineth to the house, H2346 and for the wall H5892 of the city, H1004 and for the house H935 that I shall enter into. H4428 And the king H5414 granted H2896 me, according to the good H3027 hand H430 of my God upon 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 with me captains H2428 of the army H6571 and horsemen.

10 H5571 And when Sanballat H2772 the Horonite, H2900 and Tobiah H5650 the servant, H5984 the Ammonite, H8085 heard H3415 of it, it grieved H7451 them exceedingly, H935 for 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, H7969 and was there three H3117 days.

12 H6965 And I arose H3915 in the night, H4592 I and some H4592 few H582 men H5046 with me; neither told H120 I any man H430 what my God H5414 put H3820 into my heart H6213 to do H3389 for Jerusalem; H929 neither was there any beast H929 with me, save the beast H7392 that I rode upon.

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

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

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

16 H5461 And the rulers H3045 knew H1980 not whither I went, H6213 or what I did; H3651 neither had I as yet 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 unto them, Ye see H7451 the evil H3389 case that we are in, how Jerusalem H2720 lieth waste, H8179 and the gates H3341 thereof are burned H784 with fire: H3212 come, H1129 and let us build up H2346 the wall H3389 of Jerusalem, H2781 that we be no more a reproach.

18 H5046 And I told H3027 them of the hand H430 of my God H2896 which was good H4428 upon me, as also of the king's H1697 words H559 that he had spoken H559 unto me. And they said, H6965 Let us rise up H1129 and build. H2388 So they strengthened H3027 their hands H2896 for the 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 us to scorn, H959 and despised H559 us, and said, H1697 What is this thing H6213 that ye do? H4775 will ye rebel H4428 against the king?

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