Neh 2 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, [ 2 year 1 the twentieth] of Artaxerxes the king, that [ 3 was 1 the 2 wine] before him. And I took the wine and gave it to the king, and there was no other before him.

Nehemiah 2

CHAPTER 2 Nehemiah Asks Permission to Rebuild Jerusalem

1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, [²year ¹the twentieth] of Artaxerxes the king, that [³was ¹the ²wine] before him. And I took the wine and gave it to the king, and there was no other before him. 2 And [³said ⁴to me ¹the ²king], Why is your face in a sorry state, and you are not content? For [³not ¹is ²this] unless there is a sorrowful heart. And I was afraid [²much ¹exceedingly]. 3 And I said to the king, O king, [²into ³the ⁴eon ¹Live]! Why should not [³be ⁴sorry ²face ¹my], for the city, the house of the sepulchres of my fathers, was made desolate, and its gates were devoured by fire? 4 And [³said ⁴to me ¹the ²king], For what is this you seek? And I prayed to the lord God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, If it be upon the king for good, and if [²shall seem good ¹your servant] before you, so as to send him to Judah, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, then I will rebuild it. 6 And [³said ⁴to me ¹the ²king], and his concubine sitting next to him, For how long will [²be ³going ¹you], and when will you return? And it was good before the king. And he sent me, and I gave to him a confirmation. 7 And I said to the king, If it be upon the king for good, let him give to me letters to the chief rulers on the other side of the river! so as to allow me to pass until I come unto Judah; 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden, which is to the king, so as to give to me wood to roof the gates of the palace of the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house, for which I shall enter unto it. And [³gave ⁴to me ¹the ²king] by [³hand ⁴of God ¹the ²good] upon me. 9 And I came to the chief rulers on the other side of the river, and I gave to them the letters of the king. And [³sent ⁴with ⁵me ¹the ²king] chiefs of the force, and horsemen. 10 And [⁴heard of it ¹Sanballat ²the ³Horonite], and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it was a bad thing to them that it happened. And they were grieved that [²comes ¹a man] to seek good to the sons of Israel. 11 And I came unto Jerusalem, and I was there [²days ¹three].

Nehemiah Surveys the Wall

12 And I rose up at night, I and [²men ¹a few] with me. And I did not report to a man, for God put it into my heart to do this with Jerusalem. And [³beast ²no ¹there is] with me, except the beast which I mounted upon it. 13 And I went forth through the gate of Gai at night to the mouth of the spring of the serpent, and to [³gate ¹the ²dung]. And I was studying the walls of Jerusalem, the ones being torn down, and her gates, the ones having been consumed by fire. 14 And I went by the gate of the fountain, and into the pool of the king. And there was no place for the beast [³to pass ¹underneath ²me]. 15 And I was ascending by the rushing stream at night. And I was studying the wall, and I was at the gate of the ravine, and I returned. 16 And the ones guarding did not know why I went, and what I was doing. And to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the important ones, and to the commandants, and to the rest of the ones doing the works until then, I did not report. 17 Then I said to them, You see this wickedness in which we are in it, how Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates were given to fire. Come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem! and we shall not be any longer for scorn. 18 And I reported to them the hand of God which is good upon me, and the words of the king which he spoke to me. And they said, Let us arise and build! And [²were fortified ¹their hands] for good. 19 And [⁴heard ¹Sanaballat ²the ³Horonite], and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab. And they laughed out loud at us, and they disdained us, and they said, What is this thing which you are doing? or is it [³against ⁴the ⁵king ¹that you are ²defecting]? 20 And I returned to them a word, and I said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper the way for us. And we his servants are pure, and we shall arise and build, and to you there is no portion, nor judicial right, nor a memorial in Jerusalem.