Nehemiah 2

2In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before;H2320H5212H6242H8141H783H4428H3196H6440H5375H3196H5414H4428H7451H64402so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid,H4428H559H6440H7451H2470H7455H3820H3966H7235H33723but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"H559H4428H4428H2421H5769H6440H3415H5892H1004H1H6913H2720H8179H398H7844The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven,H4428H559H1245H6419H430H80645and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."H559H4428H2895H4428H5650H3190H6440H7971H3063H5892H1H6913H11296Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.H4428H559H7694H3427H681H4109H7725H3190H6440H4428H7971H5414H21657I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah?H559H4428H2895H4428H107H5414H6346H5676H5104H5674H935H30638And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.H107H623H8104H4428H6508H5414H6086H7136H8179H1002H1004H2346H5892H1004H935H4428H5414H2896H3027H4309So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.H935H6346H5676H5104H5414H4428H107H4428H7971H8269H2428H657110When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H8085H3415H7451H1419H935H120H1245H2896H1121H347811I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three daysH935H3389H7969H311712I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.H6965H3915H4592H4592H582H5046H120H430H5414H3820H6213H3389H929H929H739213By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.H3318H3915H8179H1516H6440H8577H5869H5886H830H8179H7663H7665H2346H3389H6555H8179H398H78414Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;H5674H8179H5869H4428H1295H4725H929H567415so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.H5927H3915H5158H7663H7665H2346H7725H935H8179H1516H772516The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.H5461H3045H1980H6213H3651H5046H3064H3548H2715H5461H3499H6213H439917Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."H559H7200H7451H3389H2720H8179H3341H784H3212H1129H2346H3389H278118I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.H5046H3027H430H2896H4428H1697H559H559H6965H1129H2388H3027H289619But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"H5571H2772H2900H5650H5984H1654H6163H8085H3932H959H559H1697H6213H4775H442820I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it."H7725H1697H559H430H8064H6743H5650H6965H1129H2506H6666H2146H3389