Now in the month of Nisan , in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes , when wine was set before him , I took - the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence ,
so the king said “ Why (is) your face sad , though you (are) not ill ? This could only be ... ... sadness of the heart. ” I was overwhelmed with fear ... ...
and replied to the king , “ May the king live forever ... ! Why should I not be sad ... when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins , and its gates have been destroyed by fire ? ”
“ What ... is your request ? ” replied the king. ... So I prayed to the God of heaven
and answered the king , “ If it pleases the king , and if your servant has found favor in your sight , I ask that you send me to Judah , to the city where my fathers are buried , so that I may rebuild it. ”
Then the king , with the queen seated beside him , asked “ How long ... will your journey take , and when will you return ? ” So it pleased ... the king to send me , and I set a time.
I also said to (him) , “ If it pleases the king , may letters be given for the governors west of the Euphrates , so that they will grant me safe passage until - I reach ... Judah.
And may I have a letter to Asaph , keeper of the king’s ... forest , so that he will give timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel - to the temple , for the city wall , and for the house - I will occupy .... ” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me , the king granted
Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave - the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this , they were deeply disturbed ... that someone had come to seek the well-being vvv of the Israelites.
After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days ,
I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only ... animal ... with me was the one on which I was riding
So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward ... the Well of the Serpent ... and the Dung ... Gate , and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
Then I went on to the Fountain ... Gate and the King’s Pool , but (there was) no room for the animal under me to get through ;
so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered ... through the Valley Gate.
The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing , for I had not yet ... told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other vvv workers.
Then I said to them , “ You see the trouble - we are - Jerusalem lies in ruins , and its gates have been burned down .... Come , let us rebuild - the wall of Jerusalem , so that we will no longer be a disgrace. ”
I also told - about ... the gracious hand of my God upon me , and ... what the king had said “ Let us start rebuilding , ” they replied , and they set their hands to (this) good (work).
But when Sanballat the Horonite , Tobiah the Ammonite official , and Geshem the Arab heard about this , they mocked and ridiculed us , saying , “ What ... is this - you are doing ? Are you rebelling against the king ? ”
So I answered them and said “ The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success We , His servants , will start rebuilding , have no portion , right , or claim in Jerusalem. ”