Neh 2 | EngLXX | STEP | And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that thewine was before me: and I took the wine, and gave it to the king: and there was not another before him.

‏ Nehemiah 2

1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan of the twentieth year of king Arthasastha, that thewine was before me: and I took the wine, and gaveit to the king: and there was not another before him. 2 And the king said to me, Why is your countenance sad, and do you not control yourself?and now this is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much alarmed, 3 and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be said,forasmuch as the city, even the home of the sepulchres of my fathers, has been laid waste, and her gateshave been devoured with fire? 4 And the king said to me, For what do you ask thus? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, Ifit seem good to the king, and if your servant shall have found favor in your sight,I ask thatyou would send him into Juda, to the city of the sepulchres of my fathers; then will I rebuildit. 6 And the king, and his concubine that sat next to him, said to me, For how long will yourjourney be, and when will you return? andthe proposal was pleasing before the king, and he sent me away, and I appointed him a time. 7 And I said to the king, Ifit seem good to the king, let him give me letters to the governors beyond the river, so asto forward me till I come to Juda; 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the garden which belongs to the king, that he maygive me timber to cover the gates, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I shallenter. And the king gave to me, according as the good hand of Godwas upon me. 9 And I came to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. (Nowthe king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.) 10 And Sanaballat the Aronite heardit, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and it was grievous to them that a man was come toseek good for the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I rose up by night, I and a few men with me; and I told no man what God put intomy heart to do with Israel; and there was no beast with me, except the beast which I rode upon. 13 And I went forth by the gate of the valley by night, and to the mouth of the well offig trees, and to the dung-gate: and I mourned over the wall of Jerusalem which they were destroying,and her gates were devoured with fire. 14 And I passed on to the fountain gate, and to the king's pool; and there was no room forthe beast to pass under me. 15 And I went up by the wall of the brook by night, and mourned over the wall, and passedthrough the gate of the valley, and returned. 16 And the sentinels knew not why I went, nor what I was doing; and until that time I toldit not to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the captains, or to the restof the men who wrought the works. 17 Then I said to them, You⌃ see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate,and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shallbe no longer a reproach. 18 And I told them of the hand of God which was good upon me, also about the words of theking which he spoke to me: and I said, Let us arise and build. And their hands were strengthened for thegoodwork. 19 And Sanaballat the Aronite, and Tobia the servant, the Ammonite, and Gesam the Arabian,heardit, and they laughed us to scorn, and came to us, and said, Whatis this thing that you⌃ are doing? are you⌃ revolting against the king? 20 And I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he shall prosper us, and wehis servants are pure, and we will build: but you⌃ have no part, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.