| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it." |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me. |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 15so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" |
| 20[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 20I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it." |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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