1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Nehemiah 2

1 Artaxerxes understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness sendeth him with letters and commission to Jerusalem. 9 Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, cometh to Jerusalem. 12 He vieweth secretly the ruins of the walls. 17 He inciteth the Jews to build in despite of the enemies.

 2:1 And it came 1961 about in the month 2320 Nisan 5212, in the twentieth 6242 year 8141 of King 4428 Artaxerxes 783a, that wine 3196 [was] before 6440 him, and I took 5375 up the wine 3196 and gave 5414 it to the king 4428. Now I had not been 1961 sad 7451a in his presence 6440.

 2:2 So the king 4428 said 559 to me, “Why 4069 is your face 6440 sad 7451a though you are not sick 2470a? This 2088 is nothing 369 but sadness 7455 of heart 3820.” Then I was very 3966 much 7235a afraid 3372a.

 2:3 I said 559 to the king 4428, “Let the king 4428 live 2421a forever 5769. Why 4069 should my face 6440 not be sad 7489a when 834 the city 5892b, the place 1004 of my fathers’ 1 tombs 6913, lies desolate 2720b and its gates 8179 have been consumed 398 by fire 784?”

 2:4 Then the king 4428 said 559 to me, “What 4100 would you request 1245?” So I prayed 6419 to the God 430 of heaven 8064.

 2:5 I said 559 to the king 4428, “If 518 it please 2895 the king 4428, and if 518 your servant 5650 has found 3190 favor 3190 before 6440 you, send 7971 me to Judah 3063, to the city 5892b of my fathers’ 1 tombs 6913, that I may rebuild 1129 it.”

 2:6 Then the king 4428 said 559 to me, the queen 7694 sitting 3427 beside 681a him, “How 4970 long 5704 4970 will your journey 4109 be, and when 4970 will you return 7725?” So it pleased 3190 the king 4428 to send 7971 me, and I gave 5414 him a definite 2165 time 2165.

 2:7 And I said 559 to the king 4428, “If 518 it please 2895 the king 4428, let letters 107 be given 5414 me for the governors 6346 [of the provinces] beyond 5676 the River 5104, that they may allow me to pass 5674a through 5674a until 5704 834 I come 935 to Judah 3063,

 2:8 and a letter 107 to Asaph 623 the keeper 8104 of the king’s 4428 forest 6508, that he may give 5414 me timber 6086 to make 7136b beams 7136b for the gates 8179 of the fortress 1002 which 834 is by the temple 1004, for the wall 2346 of the city 5892b and for the house 1004 to which 834 I will go 935.” And the king 4428 granted 5414 [them] to me because the good 2896a hand 3027 of my God 430 [was] on me.

 2:9 ¶ Then I came 935 to the governors 6346 [of the provinces] beyond 5676 the River 5104 and gave 5414 them the king’s 4428 letters 107. Now the king 4428 had sent 7971 with me officers 8269 of the army 2428 and horsemen 6571b.

 2:10 When Sanballat 5571 the Horonite 2772 and Tobiah 2900 the Ammonite 5984 official 5650 heard 8085 [about it], it was very 7463a 1419 displeasing 7489a to them that someone 120 had come 935 to seek 1245 the welfare 2899b of the sons 1121 of Israel 3478.

 2:11 ¶ So I came 935 to Jerusalem 3389 and was there 8033 three 7969 days 3117.

 2:12 And I arose 6965 in the night 3915, I and a few 4592 men 376 with me. I did not tell 5046 anyone 120 what 4100 my God 430 was putting 5414 into my mind 3820 to do 6213a for Jerusalem 3389 and there 369 was no 369 animal 929 with me except 3588 518 the animal 929 on which 834 I was riding 7392.

 2:13 So I went 3318 out at night 3915 by the Valley 1516 Gate 8179 in the direction 6440 of the Dragon’s 5886 Well 5886 and [on] to the Refuse 830 Gate 8179, inspecting 7663a the walls 2346 of Jerusalem 3389 which 834 were broken 6555 down 6555 and its gates 8179 which were consumed 398 by fire 784.

 2:14 Then I passed 5674a on to the Fountain 5871a Gate 8179 and the King’s 4428 Pool 1295, but there 369 was no 369 place 4725 for my mount 929 to pass 5674a.

 2:15 So I went 5927 up at night 3915 by the ravine 5158a and inspected 7663a the wall 2346. Then I entered 935 the Valley 1516 Gate 8179 again and returned 7725.

 2:16 The officials 5461 did not know 3045 where 575 I had gone 1980 or what 4100 I had done 6213a; nor 3808 had I as yet 3651 told 5046 the Jews 3064, the priests 3548, the nobles 2715, the officials 5461 or the rest 3499a who did 6213a the work 4399.

 2:17 ¶ Then I said 559 to them, “You see 7200 the bad 7451a situation 7463a we are in, that Jerusalem 3389 is desolate 2720b and its gates 8179 burned 3341 by fire 784. Come 1980, let us rebuild 1129 the wall 2346 of Jerusalem 3389 so 3808 that we will no 3808 longer 5750 be a reproach 2781.”

 2:18 I told 5046 them how 834 the hand 3027 of my God 430 had been favorable 2896a to me and also 637 about the king’s 4428 words 1697 which 834 he had spoken 559 to me. Then they said 559, “Let us arise 6965 and build 1129.” So they put 2388 their hands 3027 to the good 2899b [work].

 2:19 But when Sanballat 5571 the Horonite 2772 and Tobiah 2900 the Ammonite 5984 official 5650, and Geshem 1654 the Arab 6163a heard 8085 [it], they mocked 3932 us and despised 959 us and said 559, “What 4100 is this 2088 thing 1697 you are doing 6213a? Are you rebelling 4775 against 5921 the king 4428?”

 2:20 So I answered 7725 them and said 559 to them, “The God 430 of heaven 8064 will give 6743b us success 6743b; therefore we His servants 5650 will arise 6965 and build 1129, but you have 369 no 369 portion 2506, right 6666 or memorial 2146 in Jerusalem 3389.”