American Standard Version - King James Version

 2:1 ¶ And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad in his presence.

 2:1 ¶ 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 up°°° the wine,° and gave°° [it] unto the king.° Now I had not° been° [beforetime] sad° in his presence.°

 2:2 And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.

 2:2 Wherefore the king° said°° unto me, Why° [is] thy countenance° sad,° seeing thou° [art] not° sick?°° this° [is] nothing° [else] but°° sorrow° of heart.° Then I was very° sore°° afraid,°°

 2:3 And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

 2:3 And said°° unto the king,° Let the king° live°° for ever:° why° should not° my countenance° be sad,°°° when° the city,° the place° of my fathers'° sepulchres,° [lieth] waste,° and the gates° thereof are consumed°° with fire?°

 2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

 2:4 Then the king° said°° unto me, For° what°° dost thou° make request?°° So I prayed°° to° the God° of heaven.°

 2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

 2:5 And I said°° unto the king,° If° it please°°° the king,° and if° thy servant° have found favour°° in thy sight,° that° thou wouldest send°° me unto° Judah,° unto° the city° of my fathers'° sepulchres,° that I may build°° it.

 2:6 And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

 2:6 And the king° said°° unto me, (the queen° also sitting°° by° him,)° For° how long° shall thy journey° be?° and when° wilt thou return?°° So it pleased°°° the king° to send°° me; and I set°° him a time.°

 2:7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the River, that they may let me pass through till I come unto Judah;

 2:7 Moreover I said°° unto the king,° If° it please°°° the king,° let letters° be given°° me to° the governors° beyond° the river,° that° they may convey me over°° till°° I come°° into° Judah;°

 2:8 and a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

 2:8 And a letter° unto° Asaph° the keeper°° of the king's° forest,° that° he may give°° me timber° to make beams°° 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 enter° into.°°° And the king° granted°° me, according to the good° hand° of my God° upon° me.

 2:9 ¶ Then I came to the governors beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.

 2:9 ¶ Then I came°° to° the governors° beyond° the river,° and gave°° them° the king's° letters.° Now the king° had sent°° captains° of the army° and horsemen° with° me.

 2:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

 2:10 When Sanballat° the Horonite,° and Tobiah° the servant,° the Ammonite,° heard°° [of it], it grieved°°° them exceedingly°° that° there was come°° a man° to seek°° the welfare° of the children° of Israel.°

 2:11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

 2:11 So I came°° to° Jerusalem,° and was° there° three° days.°

 2:12 ¶ And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God put into my heart to do for Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

 2:12 ¶ And I arose°° in the night,° I° and some° few° men°° with° me; neither° told°° I [any] man° what° my God° had put°° in° my heart° to do°° at Jerusalem:° neither° [was there any] beast° with° me, save°° the beast° that° I° rode° upon.°°

 2:13 And I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal's well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

 2:13 And I went out°° by night° by the gate° of the valley,° even before°° the dragon° well,°°° and to° the dung° port,° and viewed°°°°°° the walls° of Jerusalem,° which° were broken down,°° and the gates° thereof were consumed°° with fire.°

 2:14 Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king's pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

 2:14 Then I went on°° 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.°°

 2:15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.

 2:15 Then went I up°°° in the night° by the brook,° and viewed°°°°°° the wall,° and turned back,°° and entered°° by the gate° of the valley,° and [so] returned.°°

 2:16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.

 2:16 And the rulers° knew°° not° whither° I went,°° or what° I° did;°° neither° had I as° yet° told°° [it] to the Jews,° nor to the priests,° nor to the nobles,° nor to the rulers,° nor to the rest° that did°° the work.°

 2:17 ¶ Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

 2:17 ¶ Then said°° I unto° them, Ye° see°° the distress° that° we° [are] in, how° Jerusalem° [lieth] waste,° and the gates° thereof are burned°° with fire:° come,°°° and let us build up°°° the wall° of Jerusalem,° that we be° no° more° a reproach.°

 2:18 And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also of the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good [work].

 2:18 Then I told°° them of° the hand° of my God° which°° was good° upon° me; as also° the king's° words° that° he had spoken°° unto me. And they said,°° Let us rise up°° and build.°° So they strengthened°° their hands° for [this] good° [work].

 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

 2:19 But when Sanballat° the Horonite,° and Tobiah° the servant,° the Ammonite,° and Geshem° the Arabian,° heard°° [it], they laughed us to scorn,°° and despised°°° us, and said,°° What° [is] this° thing° that° ye° do?°° will ye° rebel°° against° the king?°

 2:20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

 2:20 Then answered°°° I them, and said°° unto them, The God° of heaven,° he° will prosper°° us; therefore we° his servants° will arise°° and build:°° but ye have no° portion,° nor right,° nor memorial,° in Jerusalem.°