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 unto the king . Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

KJV_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 , that wine H6440 was before H5375 him: and I took up [H8799] H3196 the wine H5414 , and gave [H8799] H4428 it unto the king H7451 . Now I had not been beforetime sad H6440 in his presence.

2 H4428 Wherefore the king H559 said [H8799] H6440 unto me, Why is thy countenance H7451 sad H2470 , seeing thou art not sick [H8802] H7455 ? this is nothing else but sorrow H3820 of heart H3966 . Then I was very H7235 sore [H8687] H3372 afraid [H8799] ,

3 H559 And said [H8799] H4428 unto the king H4428 , Let the king H2421 live [H8799] H5769 for ever H6440 : why should not my countenance H3415 be sad [H8799] H5892 , when the city H1004 , the place H1 of my fathers H6913 ' sepulchres H2720 , lieth waste H8179 , and the gates H398 thereof are consumed [H8795] H784 with fire?

4 H4428 Then the king H559 said [H8799] H1245 unto me, For what dost thou make request [H8764] H6419 ? So I prayed [H8691] H430 to the God H8064 of heaven.

5 H559 And I said [H8799] H4428 unto the king H2895 , If it please [H8804] H4428 the king H5650 , and if thy servant H3190 have found favour [H8799] H6440 in thy sight H7971 , that thou wouldest send [H8799] H3063 me unto Judah H5892 , unto the city H1 of my fathers H6913 ' sepulchres H1129 , that I may build [H8799] it.

6 H4428 And the king H559 said [H8799] H7694 unto me, (the queen H3427 also sitting [H8802] H681 by him H4109 ,) For how long shall thy journey H7725 be? and when wilt thou return [H8799] H3190 ? So it pleased [H8799] H6440 H4428 the king H7971 to send [H8799] H5414 me; and I set [H8799] H2165 him a time.

7 H559 Moreover I said [H8799] H4428 unto the king H2895 , If it please [H8804] H4428 the king H107 , let letters H5414 be given [H8799] H6346 me to the governors H5676 beyond H5104 the river H5674 , that they may convey me over [H8686] H935 till I come [H8799] H3063 into Judah;

8 H107 And a letter H623 unto Asaph H8104 the keeper [H8802] H4428 of the king's H6508 forest H5414 , that he may give [H8799] H6086 me timber H7136 to make beams [H8763] H8179 for the gates H1002 of the palace H1004 which appertained to the house H2346 , and for the wall H5892 of the city H1004 , and for the house H935 that I shall enter into [H8799] H4428 . And the king H5414 granted [H8799] H2896 me, according to the good H3027 hand H430 of my God upon me.

9 H935 Then I came [H8799] H6346 to the governors H5676 beyond H5104 the river H5414 , and gave [H8799] H4428 them the king's H107 letters H4428 . Now the king H7971 had sent [H8799] 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 [H8799] H3415 of it, it grieved [H8799] H7451 them exceedingly H1419 H935 that there was come [H8804] H120 a man H1245 to seek [H8763] H2896 the welfare H1121 of the children H3478 of Israel.

11 H935 So I came [H8799] H3389 to Jerusalem H7969 , and was there three H3117 days.

12 H6965 And I arose [H8799] H3915 in the night H4592 , I and some H4592 few H582 men H5046 with me; neither told [H8689] H120 I any man H430 what my God H5414 had put [H8802] H3820 in my heart H6213 to do [H8800] H3389 at Jerusalem H929 : neither was there any beast H929 with me, save the beast H7392 that I rode upon [H8802] .

13 H3318 And I went out [H8799] H3915 by night H8179 by the gate H1516 of the valley H6440 , even before H8577 the dragon H5869 well [H8677] H5886 H830 , and to the dung H8179 port H7663 , and viewed [H8802] [H8675] H7665 [H8799] H2346 the walls H3389 of Jerusalem H6555 , which were broken down [H8803] H8179 , and the gates H398 thereof were consumed [H8795] H784 with fire.

14 H5674 Then I went on [H8799] 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 that was under me to pass [H8800] .

15 H5927 Then went I up [H8802] H3915 in the night H5158 by the brook H7663 , and viewed [H8802] [H8675] H7665 [H8799] H2346 the wall H7725 , and turned back [H8799] H935 , and entered [H8799] H8179 by the gate H1516 of the valley H7725 , and so returned [H8799] .

16 H5461 And the rulers H3045 knew [H8804] H1980 not whither I went [H8804] H6213 , or what I did [H8802] H3651 ; neither had I as yet H5046 told [H8689] 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 [H8802] H4399 the work.

17 H559 Then said [H8799] H7200 I unto them, Ye see [H8802] H7451 the distress H3389 that we are in, how Jerusalem H2720 lieth waste H8179 , and the gates H3341 thereof are burned [H8738] H784 with fire H3212 : come [H8798] H1129 , and let us build up [H8799] H2346 the wall H3389 of Jerusalem H2781 , that we be no more a reproach.

18 H5046 Then I told [H8686] H3027 them of the hand H430 of my God H2896 which was good H4428 upon me; as also the king's H1697 words H559 that he had spoken [H8804] H559 unto me. And they said [H8799] H6965 , Let us rise up [H8799] H1129 and build [H8804] H2388 . So they strengthened [H8762] 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 [H8799] H3932 it, they laughed us to scorn [H8686] H959 , and despised [H8799] H559 us, and said [H8799] H1697 , What is this thing H6213 that ye do [H8802] H4775 ? will ye rebel [H8802] H4428 against the king?

20 H7725 Then answered [H8686] H1697 H559 I them, and said [H8799] H430 unto them, The God H8064 of heaven H6743 , he will prosper [H8686] H5650 us; therefore we his servants H6965 will arise [H8799] H1129 and build [H8804] H2506 : but ye have no portion H6666 , nor right H2146 , nor memorial H3389 , in Jerusalem.

ERV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ 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. ² And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid. ³ And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire? ⁴ Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it. ⁶ And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. ⁷ Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah; ⁸ and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. ⁹ Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen. ¹⁰ And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. ¹¹ So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. ¹² And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. ¹³ And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the dragon’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. ¹⁵ Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned. ¹⁶ And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. ¹⁷ Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. ¹⁸ And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also of the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good [work]. ¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? ²⁰ Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.