And it came to pass in the month Nisan
, in the twentieth
year
of Artaxerxes
the king
, that wine
was before
him: and I took up
the wine
, and gave
it unto the king
. Now I had not been beforetime sad
in his presence
.
Wherefore the king said
unto me, Why is thy countenance
sad
, seeing thou art not sick
? this is nothing else but sorrow
of heart
. Then I was very
sore
afraid
,
And said unto the king
, Let the king
live
for ever
: why should not my countenance
be sad
, when the city
, the place
of my fathers
' sepulchres
, lieth waste
, and the gates
thereof are consumed
with fire
?
Then the king said
unto me, For what dost thou make request
? So I prayed
to the God
of heaven
.
And I said unto the king
, If it please
the king
, and if thy servant
have found favour
in thy sight
, that thou wouldest send
me unto Judah
, unto the city
of my fathers
' sepulchres
, that I may build
it.
And the king said
unto me, (the queen
also sitting
by him
,) For how long shall thy journey
be? and when wilt thou return
? So it pleased
the king
to send
me; and I set
him a time
.
Moreover I said unto the king
, If it please
the king
, let letters
be given
me to the governors
beyond
the river
, that they may convey me over
till I come
into Judah
;
And a letter unto Asaph
the keeper
of the king's
forest
, that he may give
me timber
to make beams
for the gates
of the palace
which appertained to the house
, and for the wall
of the city
, and for the house
that I shall enter into
. And the king
granted
me, according to the good
hand
of my God
upon me.
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.
When Sanballat the Horonite
, and Tobiah
the servant
, the Ammonite
, heard
of it , it grieved
them exceedingly
that there was come
a man
to seek
the welfare
of the children
of Israel
.
So I came to Jerusalem
, and was there three
days
.
And I arose in the night
, I and some
few
men
with me; neither told
I any man
what my God
had put
in my heart
to do
at Jerusalem
: neither was there any beast
with me, save the beast
that I rode upon
.
And I went out by night
by the gate
of the valley
, even before
the dragon
well
, and to the dung
port
, and viewed
the walls
of Jerusalem
, which were broken down
, and the gates
thereof were consumed
with fire
.
Then I went on to the gate
of the fountain
, and to the king's
pool
: but there was no place
for the beast
that was under me to pass
.
Then went I up in the night
by the brook
, and viewed
the wall
, and turned back
, and entered
by the gate
of the valley
, and so returned
.
And the rulers knew
not whither I went
, or what I did
; neither had I as yet
told
it to the Jews
, nor to the priests
, nor to the nobles
, nor to the rulers
, nor to the rest
that did
the work
.
Then said I unto them, Ye see
the distress
that we are in, how Jerusalem
lieth waste
, and the gates
thereof are burned
with fire
: come
, and let us build up
the wall
of Jerusalem
, that we be no more a reproach
.
Then I told them of the hand
of my God
which was good
upon me; as also the king's
words
that he had spoken
unto me. And they said
, Let us rise up
and build
. So they strengthened
their hands
for this good
work .
But when Sanballat the Horonite
, and Tobiah
the servant
, the Ammonite
, and Geshem
the Arabian
, heard
it , they laughed us to scorn
, and despised
us, and said
, What is this thing
that ye do
? will ye rebel
against the king
?
Then answered I them, and said
unto them, The God
of heaven
, he will prosper
us; therefore we his servants
will arise
and build
: but ye have no portion
, nor right
, nor memorial
, in Jerusalem
.