Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah Goes to Jerusalem

2Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan

, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence.H2320H5212H6242H8141H783H4428H3196H6440H5375H3196H5414H4428H7451H64402So the king asked me, "Why are you looking so sad? You don't look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled." Then I was terrified,H4428H559H6440H7451H2470H7455H3820H3966H7235H33723but I replied, "Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire."H559H4428H4428H2421H5769H6440H3415H5892H1004H1H6913H2720H8179H398H7844The king asked, "Well, how can I help you?" With a prayer to the God of heaven,H4428H559H1245H6419H430H80645I replied, "If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried."H559H4428H2895H4428H5650H3190H6440H7971H3063H5892H1H6913H11296The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, "How long will you be gone? When will you return?" After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.H4428H559H7694H3427H681H4109H7725H3190H6440H4428H7971H5414H21657I also said to the king, "If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River

, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.H559H4428H2895H4428H107H5414H6346H5676H5104H5674H935H30638And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king's forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself." And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.H107H623H8104H4428H6508H5414H6086H7136H8179H1002H1004H2346H5892H1004H935H4428H5414H2896H3027H4309When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king's letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen

to protect me.H935H6346H5676H5104H5414H4428H107H4428H7971H8269H2428H657110But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H8085H3415H7451H1419H935H120H1245H2896H1121H3478

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Wall

11So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later,H935H3389H7969H311712I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.H6965H3915H4592H4592H582H5046H120H430H5414H3820H6213H3389H929H929H739213After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well

, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.H3318H3915H8179H1516H6440H8577H5869H5886H830H8179H7663H7665H2346H3389H6555H8179H398H78414Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble.H5674H8179H5869H4428H1295H4725H929H567415So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley

instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.H5927H3915H5158H7663H7665H2346H7725H935H8179H1516H772516The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.H5461H3045H1980H6213H3651H5046H3064H3548H2715H5461H3499H6213H439917But now I said to them, "You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!"H559H7200H7451H3389H2720H8179H3341H784H3212H1129H2346H3389H278118Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, "Yes, let's rebuild the wall!" So they began the good work.H5046H3027H430H2896H4428H1697H559H559H6965H1129H2388H3027H289619But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. "What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" they asked.H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H1654H6163H8085H3932H959H559H1697H6213H4775H442820I replied, "The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem."H7725H1697H559H430H8064H6743H5650H6965H1129H2506H6666H2146H3389