2:1 And it came to pass in the month 2320 Nisan 5212, in the twentieth 6242 year 8141 of Artaxerxes 783 the king 4428, [that] wine 3196 [was] before 6440 him: and I took up 5375 8799 the wine 3196, and gave 5414 8799 [it] unto the king 4428. Now I had not been [beforetime] sad 7451 in his presence 6440.

2:2 Wherefore the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto me, Why [is] thy countenance 6440 sad 7451, seeing thou [art] not sick 2470 8802? this [is] nothing [else] but sorrow 7455 of heart 3820. Then I was very 3966 sore 7235 8687 afraid 3372 8799,

2:3 And said 559 8799 unto the king 4428, Let the king 4428 live 2421 8799 for ever 5769: why should not my countenance 6440 be sad 3415 8799, when the city 5892, the place 1004 of my fathers' 1 sepulchres 6913, [lieth] waste 2720, and the gates 8179 thereof are consumed 398 8795 with fire 784?

2:4 Then the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto me, For what dost thou make request 1245 8764? So I prayed 6419 8691 to the God 430 of heaven 8064.

2:5 And I said 559 8799 unto the king 4428, If it please 2895 8804 the king 4428, and if thy servant 5650 have found favour 3190 8799 in thy sight 6440, that thou wouldest send 7971 8799 me unto Judah 3063, unto the city 5892 of my fathers' 1 sepulchres 6913, that I may build 1129 8799 it.

2:6 And the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto me, (the queen 7694 also sitting 3427 8802 by him 681,) For how long shall thy journey 4109 be? and when wilt thou return 7725 8799? So it pleased 3190 8799 6440 the king 4428 to send 7971 8799 me; and I set 5414 8799 him a time 2165.(queen: Heb. wife)

2:7 Moreover I said 559 8799 unto the king 4428, If it please 2895 8804 the king 4428, let letters 107 be given 5414 8799 me to the governors 6346 beyond 5676 the river 5104, that they may convey me over 5674 8686 till I come 935 8799 into Judah 3063;

2:8 And a letter 107 unto Asaph 623 the keeper 8104 8802 of the king's 4428 forest 6508, that he may give 5414 8799 me timber 6086 to make beams 7136 8763 for the gates 8179 of the palace 1002 which [appertained] to the house 1004, and for the wall 2346 of the city 5892, and for the house 1004 that I shall enter into 935 8799. And the king 4428 granted 5414 8799 me, according to the good 2896 hand 3027 of my God 430 upon me.

2:9 Then I came 935 8799 to the governors 6346 beyond 5676 the river 5104, and gave 5414 8799 them the king's 4428 letters 107. Now the king 4428 had sent 7971 8799 captains 8269 of the army 2428 and horsemen 6571 with me.

2:10 When Sanballat 5571 the Horonite 2772, and Tobiah 2900 the servant 5650, the Ammonite 5984, heard 8085 8799 [of it], it grieved 3415 8799 them exceedingly 7451 1419 that there was come 935 8804 a man 120 to seek 1245 8763 the welfare 2896 of the children 1121 of Israel 3478.

2:11 So I came 935 8799 to Jerusalem 3389, and was there three 7969 days 3117.

2:12 And I arose 6965 8799 in the night 3915, I and some 4592 few 4592 men 582 with me; neither told 5046 8689 I [any] man 120 what my God 430 had put 5414 8802 in my heart 3820 to do 6213 8800 at Jerusalem 3389: neither [was there any] beast 929 with me, save the beast 929 that I rode upon 7392 8802.

2:13 And I went out 3318 8799 by night 3915 by the gate 8179 of the valley 1516, even before 6440 the dragon 8577 well 5869 8677 5886, and to the dung 830 port 8179, and viewed 7663 8802 8675 7665 8799 the walls 2346 of Jerusalem 3389, which were broken down 6555 8803, and the gates 8179 thereof were consumed 398 8795 with fire 784.

2:14 Then I went on 5674 8799 to the gate 8179 of the fountain 5869, and to the king's 4428 pool 1295: but [there was] no place 4725 for the beast 929 [that was] under me to pass 5674 8800.

2:15 Then went I up 5927 8802 in the night 3915 by the brook 5158, and viewed 7663 8802 8675 7665 8799 the wall 2346, and turned back 7725 8799, and entered 935 8799 by the gate 8179 of the valley 1516, and [so] returned 7725 8799.

2:16 And the rulers 5461 knew 3045 8804 not whither I went 1980 8804, or what I did 6213 8802; neither had I as yet 3651 told 5046 8689 [it] to the Jews 3064, nor to the priests 3548, nor to the nobles 2715, nor to the rulers 5461, nor to the rest 3499 that did 6213 8802 the work 4399.

2:17 Then said 559 8799 I unto them, Ye see 7200 8802 the distress 7451 that we [are] in, how Jerusalem 3389 [lieth] waste 2720, and the gates 8179 thereof are burned 3341 8738 with fire 784: come 3212 8798, and let us build up 1129 8799 the wall 2346 of Jerusalem 3389, that we be no more a reproach 2781.

2:18 Then I told 5046 8686 them of the hand 3027 of my God 430 which was good 2896 upon me; as also the king's 4428 words 1697 that he had spoken 559 8804 unto me. And they said 559 8799, Let us rise up 6965 8799 and build 1129 8804. So they strengthened 2388 8762 their hands 3027 for [this] good 2896 [work].

2:19 But when Sanballat 5571 the Horonite 2772, and Tobiah 2900 the servant 5650, the Ammonite 5984, and Geshem 1654 the Arabian 6163, heard 8085 8799 [it], they laughed us to scorn 3932 8686, and despised 959 8799 us, and said 559 8799, What [is] this thing 1697 that ye do 6213 8802? will ye rebel 4775 8802 against the king 4428?

2:20 Then answered 7725 8686 1697 I them, and said 559 8799 unto them, The God 430 of heaven 8064, he will prosper 6743 8686 us; therefore we his servants 5650 will arise 6965 8799 and build 1129 8804: but ye have no portion 2506, nor right 6666, nor memorial 2146, in Jerusalem 3389.

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