2
1 In
the month Nisan,
in the twentieth
year of Artaxerxes
the king, when
wine was before
him, I picked
up the wine,
and gave it
to the king.
Now I had
not been sad
before in his
presence.
2 The
king said to me,
“Why is your
face sad, since
you are not
sick? This
is nothing else
but sorrow of
heart.”
Then I was
very much afraid.
3 I said
to the king, “Let
the king live
forever! Why shouldn’t
my face be
sad, when the
city, the place
of my fathers’
tombs, lies waste,
and its gates
have been consumed
with fire?”
4 Then
the king said to
me, “What is
your request?”
So I prayed
to the God
of heaven.
5 I said
to the king, “If
it pleases the
king, and if your
servant has found
favor in your
sight, I ask
that you would
send me to
Judah, to the
city of my fathers’
tombs, that I
may build it.”
6 The
king said to me (the
queen was also
sitting by him),
“How long will
your journey be?
When will you
return?”
So it pleased
the king to
send me, and
I set a
time for him.
7 Moreover
I said to the
king, “If it
pleases the king,
let letters be
given me to
the governors
beyond the River,
that they may
let me pass
through until I
come to Judah;
8 and
a letter to Asaph
the keeper of
the king’s forest,
that he may
give me timber
to make beams
for the gates
of the citadel
by the temple,
for the wall
of the city,
and for the
house that I
will occupy.”
The king granted
my requests, because
of the good
hand of my
God on me.
9 Then
I came to
the governors
beyond the River,
and gave them
the king’s letters.
Now the king
had sent captains
of the army
and horsemen with
me.
10 When
Sanballat the
Horonite and
Tobiah the
Ammonite servant
heard of it,
it grieved them
exceedingly, because a
man had come
to seek the
welfare of the
children of Israel.
11 So
I came to
Jerusalem, and was
there three days.
12 I
arose in the
night, I and
a few men
with me. I didn’t
tell anyone what
my God put
into my heart
to do for
Jerusalem. There wasn’t
any animal with me
except the animal
that I rode
on.
13 I
went out by
night by the
valley gate toward
the jackal’s well,
then to the dung
gate; and I
inspected the
walls of Jerusalem,
which were broken
down, and its
gates were consumed
with fire.
14 Then
I went on
to the spring
gate and to
the king’s pool,
but there was no
place for
the animal that
was under me
to pass.
15 Then
I went up
in the night
by the brook
and inspected the
wall; and I
turned back, and
entered by the
valley gate, and
so returned.
16 The
rulers didn’t know
where I went,
or what I
did. I had
not as yet
told it to
the Jews, nor
to the priests,
nor to the
nobles, nor to
the rulers, nor
to the rest
who did the
work.
17 Then
I said to them, “You
see the
bad situation that
we are in, how
Jerusalem lies
waste, and its
gates are burned
with fire. Come,
let’s build up
the wall of
Jerusalem, that
we won’t be disgraced.”
18 I
told them about
the hand of
my God which
was good on
me, and also
about the king’s
words that he
had spoken to
me.
They said, “Let’s
rise up and
build.” So they
strengthened their
hands for the
good work.
19 But
when Sanballat the
Horonite, Tobiah
the Ammonite
servant, and
Geshem the Arabian,
heard it,
they ridiculed us
and despised us,
and said, “What
is this thing
that you are
doing? Will you
rebel against the
king?”
20 Then
I answered them,
and said to
them, “The God
of heaven will
prosper us.
Therefore we, his
servants, will
arise and build;
but you have
no portion, nor
right, nor
memorial in
Jerusalem.”