ASV_Strong : Nehemiah 2
1. And it came to pass in the month[H2320] Nisan[H5212], in the twentieth[H6242] year[H8141] of Artaxerxes[H783] the king[H4428], when wine[H3196] was before[H6440] him[H5375], that I took up the wine[H3196], and gave[H5414] it unto the king[H4428]. Now I had not been beforetime sad[H7451] in his presence[H6440].
2. And the king[H4428] said[H559] unto me[H6440], Why is thy countenance sad[H7451], seeing thou art not sick[H2470]? this is nothing else but sorrow[H7455] of heart[H3820]. Then I was very[H3966] sore[H7235] afraid[H3372].
3. And I said[H559] unto the king[H4428], Let the king[H4428] live[H2421] for ever[H5769]: why should not my countenance[H6440] be sad[H3415], when the city[H5892], the place[H1004] of my fathers[H1]' sepulchres[H6913], lieth waste[H2720], and the gates[H8179] thereof are consumed[H398] with fire[H784]?
4. Then the king[H4428] said[H559] unto me[H1245], For what dost thou make request? So I prayed[H6419] to the God[H430] of heaven[H8064].
5. And I said[H559] unto the king[H4428], If it please[H2895] the king[H4428], and if thy servant[H5650] have found favor[H3190] in thy sight[H6440], that thou wouldest send[H7971] me unto Judah[H3063], unto the city[H5892] of my fathers[H1]' sepulchres[H6913], that I may build it[H1129].
6. And the king[H4428] said[H559] unto me[H7694] (the queen also sitting[H3427] by him[H681],) For how long shall thy journey[H4109] be[H7725]? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased[H3190] the king[H4428] to send[H7971] me[H5414]; and I set him a time[H2165].
7. Moreover I said[H559] unto the king[H4428], If it please[H2895] the king[H4428], let letters[H107] be given[H5414] me to the governors[H6346] beyond[H5676] the River[H5104], that they may let me pass through[H5674] till I come[H935] unto Judah[H3063];
8. and a letter[H107] unto Asaph[H623] the keeper[H8104] of the king[H4428]'s forest[H6508], that he may give[H5414] me timber[H6086] to make beams[H7136] for the gates[H8179] of the castle[H1002] which appertaineth to the house[H1004], and for the wall[H2346] of the city[H5892], and for the house[H1004] that I shall enter into[H935]. And the king[H4428] granted[H5414] me[H2896], according to the good hand[H3027] of my God upon me[H430].
9. Then I came[H935] to the governors[H6346] beyond[H5676] the River[H5104], and gave[H5414] them the king[H4428]'s letters[H107]. Now the king[H4428] had sent[H7971] with me captains[H8269] of the army[H2428] and horsemen[H6571].
10. And when Sanballat[H5571] the Horonite[H2772], and Tobiah[H2900] the servant[H5650], the Ammonite[H5984], heard[H8085] of it[H3415], it grieved them exceedingly[H7451], for that there was come[H935] a man[H120] to seek[H1245] the welfare[H2896] of the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478].
11. So I came[H935] to Jerusalem[H3389], and was there three[H7969] days[H3117].
12. And I arose[H6965] in the night[H3915], I and some[H4592] few[H4592] men[H582] with me[H5046]; neither told I any man[H120] what my God[H430] put[H5414] into my heart[H3820] to do[H6213] for Jerusalem[H3389]; neither was there any beast[H929] with me[H929], save the beast that I rode upon[H7392].
13. And I went out[H3318] by night[H3915] by the valley[H1516] gate[H8179], even toward[H6440] the jackal[H8577]'s well[H5869], and to the dung[H830] gate[H8179], and viewed[H7663] the walls[H2346] of Jerusalem[H3389], which were broken down[H6555], and the gates[H8179] thereof were consumed[H398] with fire[H784].
14. Then I went on[H5674] to the fountain[H5869] gate[H8179] and to the king[H4428]'s pool[H1295]: but there was no place[H4725] for the beast[H929] that was under me to pass[H5674].
15. Then went I up[H5927] in the night[H3915] by the brook[H5158], and viewed[H7663] the wall[H2346]; and I turned back[H7725], and entered[H935] by the valley[H1516] gate[H8179], and so returned[H7725].
16. And the rulers[H5461] knew[H3045] not whither I went[H1980], or what I did[H6213]; neither had I as yet[H3651] told[H5046] it to the Jews[H3064], nor to the priests[H3548], nor to the nobles[H2715], nor to the rulers[H5461], nor to the rest[H3499] that did[H6213] the work[H4399].
17. Then said[H559] I unto them[H7200], Ye see the evil[H7451] case that we are in[H3389], how Jerusalem lieth waste[H2720], and the gates[H8179] thereof are burned[H3341] with fire[H784]: come[H3212], and let us build up[H1129] the wall[H2346] of Jerusalem[H3389], that we be no more a reproach[H2781].
18. And I told[H5046] them of the hand[H3027] of my God[H430] which was good[H2896] upon me[H4428], as also of the king's words[H1697] that he had spoken[H559] unto me[H559]. And they said, Let us rise up[H6965] and build[H1129]. So they strengthened[H2388] their hands[H3027] for the good work[H2896].
19. But when Sanballat[H5571] the Horonite[H2772], and Tobiah[H2900] the servant[H5650], the Ammonite[H5984], and Geshem[H1654] the Arabian[H6163], heard[H8085] it[H3932], they laughed us to scorn, and despised[H959] us[H559], and said, What is this thing[H1697] that ye do[H6213]? will ye rebel[H4775] against the king[H4428]?
20. Then answered[H7725] I them[H559], and said unto them[H430], The God of heaven[H8064], he will prosper[H6743] us[H5650]; therefore we his servants will arise[H6965] and build[H1129]: but ye have no portion[H2506], nor right[H6666], nor memorial[H2146], in Jerusalem[H3389].
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