V.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 5375-4 the wine, 3196 and gave 5414-4 [it] unto the king. 4428 Now I had not been [beforetime] sad 7451 in his presence. 6440

2:2 Wherefore the king 4428 said 559-4 unto me, Why [is] thy countenance 6440 sad, 7451 seeing thou [art] not sick? 2470-6 this [is] nothing [else] but sorrow 7455 of heart. 3820 Then I was very 3966 sore 7235-53 afraid, 3372-4

2:3 And said 559-4 unto the king, 4428 Let the king 4428 live 2421-4 for ever: 5769 why should not my countenance 6440 be sad, 3415-4 when the city, 5892 the place 1004 of my fathers' 1 sepulchres, 6913 [lieth] waste, 2720 and the gates 8179 thereof are consumed 398-27 with fire? 784

2:4 Then the king 4428 said 559-4 unto me, For what dost thou make request? 1245-18 So I prayed 6419-101 to the God 430 of heaven. 8064

2:5 And I said 559-4 unto the king, 4428 If it please 2895-1 the king, 4428 and if thy servant 5650 have found favour 3190-4 in thy sight, 6440 that thou wouldest send 7971-4 me unto Judah, 3063 unto the city 5892 of my fathers' 1 sepulchres, 6913 that I may build 1129-4 it.

2:6 And the king 4428 said 559-4 unto me, (the queen 7694 also sitting 3427-6 by him,) 681 For how long shall thy journey 4109 be? and when wilt thou return? 7725-4 So it pleased 3190-4 6440 the king 4428 to send 7971-4 me; and I set 5414-4 him a time. 2165

2:7 Moreover I said 559-4 unto the king, 4428 If it please 2895-1 the king, 4428 let letters 107 be given 5414-4 me to the governors 6346 beyond 5676 the river, 5104 that they may convey me over 5674-55 till I come 935-4 into Judah; 3063

2:8 And a letter 107 unto Asaph 623 the keeper 8104-6 of the king's 4428 forest, 6508 that he may give 5414-4 me timber 6086 to make beams 7136-15 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 935-4 into. And the king 4428 granted 5414-4 me, according to the good 2896 hand 3027 of my God 430 upon me.

2:9 Then I came 935-4 to the governors 6346 beyond 5676 the river, 5104 and gave 5414-4 them the king's 4428 letters. 107 Now the king 4428 had sent 7971-4 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 8085-4 [of it], it grieved 3415-4 them exceedingly 7451 1419 that there was come 935-1 a man 120 to seek 1245-15 the welfare 2896 of the children 1121 of Israel. 3478

2:11 So I came 935-4 to Jerusalem, 3389 and was there three 7969 days. 3117

2:12 And I arose 6965-4 in the night, 3915 I and some few 4592 men 582 with me; neither told 5046-52 I [any] man 120 what my God 430 had put 5414-6 in my heart 3820 to do 6213-2 at Jerusalem: 3389 neither [was there any] beast 929 with me, save the beast 929 that I rode 7392-6 upon.

2:13 And I went out 3318-4 by night 3915 by the gate 8179 of the valley, 1516 even before 6440 the dragon well, 8577|5869|5886 and to the dung 830 port, 8179 and viewed 7663-6|7665-6 the walls 2346 of Jerusalem, 3389 which were broken down, 6555-7 and the gates 8179 thereof were consumed 398-27 with fire. 784

2:14 Then I went on 5674-4 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. 5674-2

2:15 Then went I up 5927-6 in the night 3915 by the brook, 5158 and viewed 7663-6|7665-6 the wall, 2346 and turned back, 7725-4 and entered 935-4 by the gate 8179 of the valley, 1516 and [so] returned. 7725-4

2:16 And the rulers 5461 knew 3045-1 not whither I went, 1980-1 or what I did; 6213-6 neither had I as yet 3651 told 5046-52 [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 6213-6 the work. 4399

2:17 Then said 559-4 I unto them, Ye see 7200-6 the distress 7451 that we [are] in, how Jerusalem 3389 [lieth] waste, 2720 and the gates 8179 thereof are burned 3341-8 with fire: 784 come, 3212-3 and let us build up 1129-4 the wall 2346 of Jerusalem, 3389 that we be no more a reproach. 2781

2:18 Then I told 5046-55 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 559-1 unto me. And they said, 559-4 Let us rise up 6965-4 and build. 1129-1 So they strengthened 2388-17 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 8085-4 [it], they laughed us to scorn, 3932-55 and despised 959-4 us, and said, 559-4 What [is] this thing 1697 that ye do? 6213-6 will ye rebel 4775-6 against the king? 4428