Chapter 2

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 up⁴ the wine, and gave⁴ [it] unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence.

Wherefore the king said⁴ unto me, Why [is] thy countenance sad, seeing thou [art] not sick?⁶ this [is] nothing [else] but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore⁵³ afraid,⁴

And said⁴ unto the king, Let the king live⁴ for ever: why should not my countenance be sad,⁴ when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are consumed²⁷ with fire?

Then the king said⁴ unto me, For what dost thou make request?¹⁸ So I prayed¹⁰¹ to the God of heaven.

And I said⁴ unto the king, If it please¹ the king, and if thy servant have found favour⁴ in thy sight, that thou wouldest send⁴ me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build⁴ it.

And the king said⁴ unto me, (the queen also sitting⁶ by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return?⁴ So it pleased^{4 6440} the king to send⁴ me; and I set⁴ him a time.

Moreover I said⁴ unto the king, If it please¹ the king, let letters be given⁴ me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over⁵⁵ till I come⁴ into Judah;

And a letter unto Asaph the keeper⁶ of the king's forest, that he may give⁴ me timber to make beams¹⁵ 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 enter⁴ into. And the king granted⁴ me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Then I came⁴ to the governors beyond the river, and gave⁴ them the king's letters. Now the king had sent⁴ captains of the army and horsemen with me.

When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard⁴ [of it], it grieved⁴ them exceedingly ¹⁴¹⁹ that there was come¹ a man to seek¹⁵ the welfare of the children of Israel.

So I came⁴ to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

And I arose⁴ in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told⁵² I [any] man what my God had put⁶ in my heart to do² at Jerusalem: neither [was there any] beast with me, save the beast that I rode⁶ upon.

And I went out⁴ by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, ^{5869 5886} and to the dung port, and viewed^{6 7665 6} the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down,⁷ and the gates thereof were consumed²⁷ with fire.

Then I went on⁴ 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.²

Then went I up⁶ in the night by the brook, and viewed^{6 7665 6} the wall, and turned back,⁴ and entered⁴ by the gate of the valley, and [so] returned.⁴

And the rulers knew¹ not whither I went,¹ or what I did;⁶ neither had I as yet told⁵² [it] to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did⁶ the work.

Then said⁴ I unto them, Ye see⁶ the distress that we [are] in, how Jerusalem [lieth] waste, and the gates thereof are burned⁸ with fire: come,³ and let us build up⁴ the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

Then I told⁵⁵ them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken¹ unto me. And they said,⁴ Let us rise up⁴ and build.¹ So they strengthened¹⁷ their hands for [this] good [work].

But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard⁴ [it], they laughed us to scorn,⁵⁵ and despised⁴ us, and said,⁴ What [is] this thing that ye do?⁶ will ye rebel⁶ against the king?

Then answered^{55 1697} I them, and said⁴ unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper⁵⁵ us; therefore we his servants will arise⁴ and build:¹ but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.