And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, year the twentieth *of Artaxerxes the king, that was wine before him. And I took the wine and gave it to the king, and there was no other before him.
And said to me the king, Why is your face in a sorry state, and you are not content? For not is this unless there is a sorrowful heart. And I was afraid much exceedingly.
And I said to the king, O king, into eon Live! Why should not be sorry my face, for the city, the house of the sepulchres of my fathers, was made desolate, and its gates were devoured by fire?
And said to me the king, For what is this you seek? And I prayed to the lord God of heaven.
And I said to the king, If it be upon the king for good, and if shall seem good your servant before you, so as to send him to *Judah, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, then I will rebuild it.
And said to me the king, and his concubine sitting next to him, For how long will be your going, and when will you return? And it was good before the king. And he sent me, and I gave to him a confirmation.
And I said to the king, If it be upon the king for good, let him give to me letters to chief rulers on the other side of the river, so as to allow me to pass until I come unto *Judah;
and a letter to *Asaph the keeper of the garden, which is to the king, so as to give to me wood to roof the gates of the palace of the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house, for which I shall enter unto it. And gave to me the king by hand of God good upon me.
And I came to chief rulers on the other side of the river, and I gave to them the letters of the king. And sent with me the king chiefs of the force, and horsemen.
And heard of it *Sanballat the *Horonite, and *Tobiah the servant, the *Ammonite, and it was a bad thing to them that it happened. And they were grieved that comes a man to seek good to the sons *of Israel.
And I came unto *Jerusalem, and I was there days three.
And I rose up at night, I and men a few with me. And I did not report to a man, for God put it into my heart to do this with *Jerusalem. And beast no there is with me, except the beast which I mounted upon it.
And I went forth through the gate of *Gai at night to the mouth of the spring of the serpent, and to gate dung. And I was studying the walls *of Jerusalem, the ones being torn down, and her gates, the ones having been consumed by fire.
And I went by the gate of the fountain, into the pool of the king. And there was no place for the beast to pass underneath me.
And I was ascending by the rushing stream at night. And I was studying the wall, I was at the gate of the ravine, and I returned.
And the ones guarding did not know why I went, and what I was doing. And to the *Jews, and to the priests, and to the important ones, and to the commandants, and to the rest ones doing the works until then, I did not report.
Then I said to them, You see this wickedness in which we are in it, how *Jerusalem is desolate, and its gates were given to fire. Come, and let us build throughout the wall *of Jerusalem! and we shall not be any longer for scorn.
And I reported to them the hand of God which is good upon me, and the words of the king which he spoke to me. And they said, Let us arise and build! And were fortified their hands for good.
And heard *Sanaballat the *Horonite, and *Tobiah the servant, the *Ammonite, and *Geshem the *Arab. And they laughed out loud at us, and they disdained us, and they said, What is this thing which you are doing? or is it against the king that you are defecting?
And I returned to them a word, and I said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper the way for us. And we his servants are pure, and we shall arise and build, and to you there is no portion, nor judicial right, nor a memorial in *Jerusalem.