Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

1And it cameH1961 aboutH1961 in the monthH2320 NisanH5212, 1in the twentiethH6242 yearH8141 of KingH4428 2ArtaxerxesH783, that wineH3196 was beforeH6440 him, and 3I pickedH5375 upH5375 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 areH2470 not illH2470? 4ThisH2088 is nothingH369 but sadnessH7455 of heartH3820.” Then I wasH3372 veryH3966 muchH7235 afraidH3372. 3And I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “5May the kingH4428 liveH2421 foreverH5769. WhyH4069 should my faceH6440 not beH7489 sadH7489 6whenH834 the cityH5892, the 7siteH1004 of my fathers’H1 tombsH6913, is desolateH2720 and its gatesH8179 have been consumedH398 by fireH784?” 4Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to me, “8WhatH4100 would you requestH1245?” 9So I prayedH6419 to the GodH430 of heavenH8064. 5Then I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “IfH518 it pleasesH2895 the kingH4428, and ifH518 your servantH5650 has foundH3190 favorH3190 beforeH6440 you, I request that you sendH7971 me to JudahH3063, to the cityH5892 of my fathers’H1 tombsH6913, that I may rebuildH1129 it.” 6Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to me, with 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 10I gaveH5414 him a definiteH2165 timeH2165. 7And I saidH559 to the kingH4428, “IfH518 it pleasesH2895 the kingH4428, let lettersH107 be givenH5414 me 11for the governorsH6346 of the provinces beyondH5676 the RiverH5104, so that they will allow me to passH5674 throughH5674 untilH5704H834 I comeH935 to JudahH3063, 8and a letterH107 to AsaphH623 the keeperH8104 of the king’sH4428 12forestH6508, soH834 thatH834 he will giveH5414 me timberH6086 to makeH7136 beamsH7136 for the gatesH8179 of 13the citadelH1002 whichH834 is by the 14templeH1004, for the wallH2346 of the cityH5892, and for the houseH1004 to whichH834 I will goH935.” And the kingH4428 grantedH5414 them to me because 15the goodH2896 handH3027 of my GodH430 was on me.

9Then I cameH935 to 16the governorsH6346 of the provinces beyondH5676 the Euphrates RiverH5104 and gaveH5414 them the king’sH4428 lettersH107. Now 17the kingH4428 had sentH7971 with me officersH8269 of the armyH2428 and horsemenH6571. 10And when 18SanballatH5571 the HoroniteH2772 and TobiahH2900 the AmmoniteH5984 19officialH5650 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 20cameH935 to JerusalemH3389 and was thereH8033 for threeH7969 daysH3117. 12And I gotH6965 upH6965 in the nightH3915, I and a fewH4592 menH376 with me. I did not tellH5046 anyoneH120 whatH4100 my GodH430 was puttingH5414 into my 21mindH3820 to doH6213 for JerusalemH3389, and thereH369 wasH369 noH369 animalH929 with me exceptH3588H518 the animalH929 on whichH834 I was ridingH7392. 13So I wentH3318 outH3318 at nightH3915 by 22the ValleyH1516 GateH8179 in the directionH6440 of the Dragon’sH5886 SpringH5886 and on to the DungH830 GateH8179, and I was inspectingH7663 the wallsH2346 of JerusalemH3389 23whichH834 were brokenH6555 downH6555 and its 24gatesH8179 which had been consumedH398 by fireH784. 14Then I passedH5674 onH5674 to 25the FountainH5871 GateH8179 and 26the King’sH4428 PoolH1295, but thereH369 wasH369 noH369 placeH4725 for 27my mountH929 to passH5674. 15So I was goingH5927 upH5927 at nightH3915 by the 28ravineH5158 and inspectingH7663 the wallH2346. Then I enteredH935 the ValleyH1516 GateH8179 again and returnedH7725. 16However, the officialsH5461 did not knowH3045 whereH575 I had goneH1980 or whatH4100 I was doingH6213; norH3808 had I as yetH3651 toldH5046 the JewsH3064, the priestsH3548, the noblesH2715, the officialsH5461, or the restH3499 who were doingH6213 the workH4399.

17Then I saidH559 to them, “You seeH7200 the badH7463 situationH7463 we are in, that 29JerusalemH3389 is desolateH2720 and its gatesH8179 have been burnedH3341 by fireH784. ComeH1980, let’s rebuildH1129 the wallH2346 of JerusalemH3389 so that we will noH3808 longerH5750 be a disgraceH2781.” 18And I 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’s ariseH6965 and buildH1129.” 30So they putH2388 their handsH3027 to the goodH2899 work. 19But when SanballatH5571 the HoroniteH2772 and TobiahH2900 the AmmoniteH5984 31officialH5650, and 32GeshemH1654 the ArabH6163 heardH8085 about it, 33they mockedH3932 us and despisedH959 us, and saidH559, “WhatH4100 is thisH2088 thingH1697 that you are doingH6213? 34Are you rebellingH4775 againstH5921 the kingH4428?” 20So I answeredH7725H1697 them and saidH559 to them, “35The GodH430 of heavenH8064 will makeH6743 us successfulH6743; therefore we His servantsH5650 will ariseH6965 and buildH1129, 36but you haveH369 noH369 partH2506, rightH6666, or memorialH2146 in JerusalemH3389.”