Nehemiah 2 – Bible | Equip God’s People

World English Bible Classic

^[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.”

King James Version

^[1] And it came to pass in the monthH2320 Nisan,H5212 in the twentiethH6242 yearH8141 of ArtaxerxesH783 the king,H4428 [that] wineH3196 [was] beforeH6440 him: and I took upH5375(QalImpf) the wine,H3196 and gaveH5414(QalImpf) [it] unto the king.H4428 Now I had not been [beforetime] sadH7451 in his presence.H6440 ^[2] Wherefore the kingH4428 saidH559(QalImpf) unto me, Why [is] thy countenanceH6440 sad,H7451 seeing thou [art] not sick?H2470(QalActPtc) this [is] nothing [else] but sorrowH7455 of heart.H3820 Then I was veryH3966 soreH7235(HiphInf) afraid,H3372(QalImpf) ^[3] And saidH559(QalImpf) unto the king,H4428 Let the kingH4428 liveH2421(QalImpf) for ever:H5769 why should not my countenanceH6440 be sad,H3415(QalImpf) when the city,H5892 the placeH1004 of my fathers’H1 sepulchres,H6913 [lieth] waste,H2720 and the gatesH8179 thereof are consumedH398(PualPerf) with fire?H784 ^[4] Then the kingH4428 saidH559(QalImpf) unto me, For what dost thou make request?H1245(PielPtc) So I prayedH6419(HithImpf) to the GodH430 of heaven.H8064 ^[5] And I saidH559(QalImpf) unto the king,H4428 If it pleaseH2895(QalPerf) the king,H4428 and if thy servantH5650 have found favourH3190(QalImpf) in thy sight,H6440 that thou wouldest sendH7971(QalImpf) me unto Judah,H3063 unto the cityH5892 of my fathers’H1 sepulchres,H6913 that I may buildH1129(QalImpf) it. ^[6] And the kingH4428 saidH559(QalImpf) unto me, (the queenH7694 also sittingH3427(QalActPtc) by him,H681) For how long shall thy journeyH4109 be? and when wilt thou return?H7725(QalImpf) So it pleasedH3190(QalImpf) the kingH4428 to sendH7971(QalImpf) me; and I setH5414(QalImpf) him a time.H2165 ^[7] Moreover I saidH559(QalImpf) unto the king,H4428 If it pleaseH2895(QalPerf) the king,H4428 let lettersH107 be givenH5414(QalImpf) me to the governorsH6346 beyondH5676 the river,H5104 that they may convey me overH5674(HiphImpf) till I comeH935(QalImpf) into Judah;H3063 ^[8] And a letterH107 unto AsaphH623 the keeperH8104(QalActPtc) of the king’sH4428 forest,H6508 that he may giveH5414(QalImpf) me timberH6086 to make beamsH7136(PielInf) for the gatesH8179 of the palaceH1002 which [appertained] to the house,H1004 and for the wallH2346 of the city,H5892 and for the houseH1004 that I shall enter into.H935(QalImpf) And the kingH4428 grantedH5414(QalImpf) me, according to the goodH2896 handH3027 of my GodH430 upon me. ^[9] Then I cameH935(QalImpf) to the governorsH6346 beyondH5676 the river,H5104 and gaveH5414(QalImpf) them the king’sH4428 letters.H107 Now the kingH4428 had sentH7971(QalImpf) captainsH8269 of the armyH2428 and horsemenH6571 with me. ^[10] When SanballatH5571 the Horonite,H2772 and TobiahH2900 the servant,H5650 the Ammonite,H5984 heardH8085(QalImpf) [of it], it grievedH3415(QalImpf) them exceedinglyH7451 that there was comeH935(QalPerf) a manH120 to seekH1245(PielInf) the welfareH2896 of the childrenH1121 of Israel.H3478 ^[11] So I cameH935(QalImpf) to Jerusalem,H3389 and was there threeH7969 days.H3117 ^[12] And I aroseH6965(QalImpf) in the night,H3915 I and someH4592 fewH4592 menH582 with me; neither toldH5046(HiphPerf) I [any] manH120 what my GodH430 had putH5414(QalActPtc) in my heartH3820 to doH6213(QalInf) at Jerusalem:H3389 neither [was there any] beastH929 with me, save the beastH929 that I rode upon.H7392(QalActPtc) ^[13] And I went outH3318(QalImpf) by nightH3915 by the gateH8179 of the valley,H1516 even beforeH6440 the dragonH8577 well,H5869(QK) and to the dungH830 port,H8179 and viewedH7663(QalActPtc/Qere) the wallsH2346 of Jerusalem,H3389 which were broken down,H6555(QalPasPtc) and the gatesH8179 thereof were consumedH398(PualPerf) with fire.H784 ^[14] Then I went onH5674(QalImpf) to the gateH8179 of the fountain,H5869 and to the king’sH4428 pool:H1295 but [there was] no placeH4725 for the beastH929 [that was] under me to pass.H5674(QalInf) ^[15] Then went I upH5927(QalActPtc) in the nightH3915 by the brook,H5158 and viewedH7663(QalActPtc/Qere) the wall,H2346 and turned back,H7725(QalImpf) and enteredH935(QalImpf) by the gateH8179 of the valley,H1516 and [so] returned.H7725(QalImpf) ^[16] And the rulersH5461 knewH3045(QalPerf) not whither I went,H1980(QalPerf) or what I did;H6213(QalActPtc) neither had I as yetH3651 toldH5046(HiphPerf) [it] to the Jews,H3064 nor to the priests,H3548 nor to the nobles,H2715 nor to the rulers,H5461 nor to the restH3499 that didH6213(QalActPtc) the work.H4399 ^[17] Then saidH559(QalImpf) I unto them, Ye seeH7200(QalActPtc) the distressH7451 that we [are] in, how JerusalemH3389 [lieth] waste,H2720 and the gatesH8179 thereof are burnedH3341(NiphPerf) with fire:H784 come,H3212(QalImpv) and let us build upH1129(QalImpf) the wallH2346 of Jerusalem,H3389 that we be no more a reproach.H2781 ^[18] Then I toldH5046(HiphImpf) them of the handH3027 of my GodH430 which was goodH2896 upon me; as also the king’sH4428 wordsH1697 that he had spokenH559(QalPerf) unto me. And they said,H559(QalImpf) Let us rise upH6965(QalImpf) and build.H1129(QalPerf) So they strengthenedH2388(PielImpf) their handsH3027 for [this] goodH2896 [work]. ^[19] But when SanballatH5571 the Horonite,H2772 and TobiahH2900 the servant,H5650 the Ammonite,H5984 and GeshemH1654 the Arabian,H6163 heardH8085(QalImpf) [it], they laughed us to scorn,H3932(HiphImpf) and despisedH959(QalImpf) us, and said,H559(QalImpf) What [is] this thingH1697 that ye do?H6213(QalActPtc) will ye rebelH4775(QalActPtc) against the king?H4428 ^[20] Then answeredH7725(HiphImpf) I them, and saidH559(QalImpf) unto them, The GodH430 of heaven,H8064 he will prosperH6743(HiphImpf) us; therefore we his servantsH5650 will ariseH6965(QalImpf) and build:H1129(QalPerf) but ye have no portion,H2506 nor right,H6666 nor memorial,H2146 in Jerusalem.H3389

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