Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

1And it cameH1961 about in the monthH2320 NisanH5212, 1in the twentiethH6242 yearH8141 of KingH4428 2ArtaxerxesH783, that wineH3196 was beforeH6440 him, and 3I tookH5375 up the wineH3196 and gaveH5414 it to the kingH4428. Now I had not beenH1961 sadH7451 in his presenceH6440. 2So the kingH4428 saidH559 to me, “WhyH4069 is your faceH6440 sadH7451 though you are not sickH2470? 4ThisH2088 is nothingH369 but sadnessH7455 of heartH3820.” Then I was veryH3966 muchH7235 afraidH3372. 3I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “5Let the kingH4428 liveH2421 foreverH5769. WhyH4069 should my faceH6440 not be sadH7489 6whenH834 the cityH5892, the placeH1004 of my fathers’H1 tombsH6913, lies desolateH2720 and its gatesH8179 have been consumedH398 by fireH784?” 4Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to me, “WhatH4100 would you requestH1245?” 7So I prayedH6419 to the GodH430 of heavenH8064. 5I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “IfH518 it pleaseH2895 the kingH4428, and ifH518 your servantH5650 has foundH3190 favorH3190 beforeH6440 you, sendH7971 me to JudahH3063, to the cityH5892 of my fathers’H1 tombsH6913, that I may rebuildH1129 it.” 6Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to me, the queenH7694 sittingH3427 besideH681 him, “HowH4970 longH5704H4970 will your journeyH4109 be, and whenH4970 will you returnH7725?” So it pleasedH3190 the kingH4428 to sendH7971 me, and 8I gaveH5414 him a definiteH2165 timeH2165. 7And I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “IfH518 it pleaseH2895 the kingH4428, let lettersH107 be givenH5414 me 9for the governorsH6346 of the provinces beyondH5676 the RiverH5104, that they may allow me to passH5674 throughH5674 untilH5704H834 I comeH935 to JudahH3063, 8and a letterH107 to AsaphH623 the keeperH8104 of the king’sH4428 10forestH6508, that he may giveH5414 me timberH6086 to makeH7136 beamsH7136 for the gatesH8179 of 11the fortressH1002 whichH834 is by the 12templeH1004, for the wallH2346 of the cityH5892 and for the houseH1004 to whichH834 I will goH935.” And the kingH4428 grantedH5414 them to me because 13the goodH2896 handH3027 of my GodH430 was on me.

9Then I cameH935 to 14the governorsH6346 of the provinces beyondH5676 the RiverH5104 and gaveH5414 them the king’sH4428 lettersH107. Now 15the kingH4428 had sentH7971 with me officersH8269 of the armyH2428 and horsemenH6571. 10When 16SanballatH5571 the HoroniteH2772 and TobiahH2900 the AmmoniteH5984 17officialH5650 heardH8085 about it, it was veryH7463H1419 displeasingH7489 to them that someoneH120 had comeH935 to seekH1245 the welfareH2899 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

11So I 18cameH935 to JerusalemH3389 and was thereH8033 threeH7969 daysH3117. 12And I aroseH6965 in the nightH3915, I and a fewH4592 menH376 with me. I did not tellH5046 anyoneH120 whatH4100 my GodH430 was puttingH5414 into my 19mindH3820 to doH6213 for JerusalemH3389 and thereH369 was noH369 animalH929 with me exceptH3588H518 the animalH929 on whichH834 I was ridingH7392. 13So I wentH3318 out at nightH3915 by 20the ValleyH1516 GateH8179 in the directionH6440 of the Dragon’sH5886 WellH5886 and on to the 21RefuseH830 GateH8179, inspectingH7663 the wallsH2346 of JerusalemH3389 22whichH834 were brokenH6555 downH6555 and its 23gatesH8179 which were consumedH398 by fireH784. 14Then I passedH5674 on to 24the FountainH5871 GateH8179 and 25the King’sH4428 PoolH1295, but thereH369 was noH369 placeH4725 for 26my mountH929 to passH5674. 15So I wentH5927 up at nightH3915 by the 27ravineH5158 and inspectedH7663 the wallH2346. Then I enteredH935 the ValleyH1516 GateH8179 again and returnedH7725. 16The officialsH5461 did not knowH3045 whereH575 I had goneH1980 or whatH4100 I had doneH6213; norH3808 had I as yetH3651 toldH5046 the JewsH3064, the priestsH3548, the noblesH2715, the officialsH5461 or the restH3499 who didH6213 the workH4399.

17Then I saidH559 to them, “You seeH7200 the badH7451 situationH7463 we are in, that 28JerusalemH3389 is desolateH2720 and its gatesH8179 burnedH3341 by fireH784. ComeH1980, let us rebuildH1129 the wallH2346 of JerusalemH3389 soH3808 that we will noH3808 longerH5750 be a reproachH2781.” 18I toldH5046 them howH834 the handH3027 of my GodH430 had been favorableH2896 to me and alsoH637 about the king’sH4428 wordsH1697 whichH834 he had spokenH559 to me. Then they saidH559, “Let us ariseH6965 and buildH1129.” 29So they putH2388 their handsH3027 to the goodH2899 work. 19But when SanballatH5571 the HoroniteH2772 and TobiahH2900 the AmmoniteH5984 30officialH5650, and 31GeshemH1654 the ArabH6163 heardH8085 it, 32they mockedH3932 us and despisedH959 us and saidH559, “WhatH4100 is thisH2088 thingH1697 you are doingH6213? 33Are you rebellingH4775 againstH5921 the kingH4428?” 20So I answeredH7725 them and saidH559 to them, “34The GodH430 of heavenH8064 will giveH6743 us successH6743; therefore we His servantsH5650 will ariseH6965 and buildH1129, 35but you haveH369 noH369 portionH2506, rightH6666 or memorialH2146 in JerusalemH3389.”