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1. During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
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1. And it came to pass H1961 in the month H2320 Nisan H5212 , in the twentieth H6242 year H8141 of Artaxerxes H783 the king H4428 , that wine H3196 was before H6440 him : and I took up H5375 H853 the wine H3196 , and gave H5414 it unto the king H4428 . Now I had not H3808 been H1961 formerly sad H7451 in his presence H6440 .
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2. so the king said to me, "Why are you sad, when you aren't sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart." I was overwhelmed with fear
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2. Wherefore the king H4428 said H559 unto me, Why H4069 is thy countenance H6440 sad H7451 , seeing thou H859 art not H369 sick H2470 ? this H2088 is nothing H369 else but H3588 H518 sorrow H7455 of heart H3820 . Then I was very H3966 sore H7235 afraid H3372 ,
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3. and replied to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"
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3. And said H559 unto the king H4428 , Let the king H4428 live H2421 forever H5769 : why H4069 should not H3808 my countenance H6440 be sad H7489 , when H834 the city H5892 , the place H1004 of my fathers H1 ' sepulchers H6913 , lieth waste H2720 , and the gates H8179 thereof are consumed H398 with fire H784 ?
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4. Then the king asked me, "What is your request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven
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4. Then the king H4428 said H559 unto me, For H5921 what H4100 H2088 dost thou H859 make request H1245 ? So I prayed H6419 to H413 the God H430 of heaven H8064 .
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5. and answered the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it."
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5. And I said H559 unto the king H4428 , If H518 it please H2895 H5921 the king H4428 , and if H518 thy servant H5650 have found favor H3190 in thy sight H6440 , that H834 thou wouldest send H7971 me unto H413 Judah H3063 , unto H413 the city H5892 of my fathers H1 ' sepulchers H6913 , that I may build H1129 it.
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6. The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you return?" So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.
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6. And the king H4428 said H559 unto me, (the queen H7694 also sitting H3427 by H681 him,) For H5704 how long H4970 shall thy journey H4109 be H1961 ? and when H4970 wilt thou return H7725 ? So it pleased H3190 H6440 the king H4428 to send H7971 me ; and I set H5414 him a time H2165 .
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7. I also said to the king: "If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
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7. Moreover I said H559 unto the king H4428 , If H518 it please H2895 H5921 the king H4428 , let letters H107 be given H5414 me to H5921 the governors H6346 beyond H5676 the river H5104 , that H834 they may convey me over H5674 till H5704 H834 I come H935 into H413 Judah H3063 ;
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8. And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live." The king granted my requests, for I was graciously strengthened by my God.
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8. And a letter H107 unto H413 Asaph H623 the keeper H8104 of the king H4428 's forest H6508 , that H834 he may give H5414 me timber H6086 to make beams H7136 for H853 the gates H8179 of the palace H1002 which H834 appertained to the house H1004 , and for the wall H2346 of the city H5892 , and for the house H1004 that H834 I shall enter H935 into H413 . And the king H4428 granted H5414 me , according to the good H2896 hand H3027 of my God H430 upon H5921 me.
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9. I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.
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9. Then I came H935 to H413 the governors H6346 beyond H5676 the river H5104 , and gave H5414 them H853 the king H4428 's letters H107 . Now the king H4428 had sent H7971 captains H8269 of the army H2428 and horsemen H6571 with H5973 me.
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10. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
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10. When Sanballat H5571 the Horonite H2772 , and Tobiah H2900 the servant H5650 , the Ammonite H5984 , heard H8085 of it , it grieved H7489 them exceedingly H1419 H7451 that H834 there was come H935 a man H120 to seek H1245 the welfare H2896 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 .
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11. After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
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11. So I came H935 to H413 Jerusalem H3389 , and was H1961 there H8033 three H7969 days H3117 .
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12. I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn't tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
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12. And I arose H6965 in the night H3915 , I H589 and some few H4592 men H376 with H5973 me; neither H3808 told H5046 I any man H120 what H4100 my God H430 had put H5414 in H413 my heart H3820 to do H6213 at Jerusalem H3389 : neither H369 was there any beast H929 with H5973 me, save H3588 H518 the beast H929 that H834 I H589 rode H7392 upon.
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13. I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent's Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
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13. And I went out H3318 by night H3915 by the gate H8179 of the valley H1516 , even before H413 H6440 the dragon H8577 well H5869 , and to H413 the dung H830 port H8179 , and viewed H1961 H7663 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 , which H834 were broken down H6555 , and the gates H8179 thereof were consumed H398 with fire H784 .
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14. I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.
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14. Then I went on H5674 to H413 the gate H8179 of the fountain H5869 , and to H413 the king H4428 's pool H1295 : but there was no H369 place H4725 for the beast H929 that was under H8478 me to pass H5674 .
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15. So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
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15. Then went I up H1961 H5927 in the night H3915 by the brook H5158 , and viewed H1961 H7663 the wall H2346 , and turned back H7725 , and entered H935 by the gate H8179 of the valley H1516 , and so returned H7725 .
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16. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.
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16. And the rulers H5461 knew H3045 not H3808 whither H575 I went H1980 , or what H4100 I H589 did H6213 ; neither H3808 had I as H5704 yet H3651 told H5046 it to the Jews H3064 , nor to the priests H3548 , nor to the nobles H2715 , nor to the rulers H5461 , nor to the rest H3499 that did H6213 the work H4399 .
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17. So I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace."
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17. Then said H559 I unto H413 them, Ye H859 see H7200 the distress H7451 that H834 we H587 are in, how H834 Jerusalem H3389 lieth waste H2720 , and the gates H8179 thereof are burned H3341 with fire H784 : come H1980 , and let us build up H1129 H853 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 , that we be H1961 no H3808 more H5750 a reproach H2781 .
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18. I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, "Let's start rebuilding," and they were encouraged to do this good work.
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18. Then I told H5046 them of H853 the hand H3027 of my God H430 which H834 H1931 was good H2896 upon H5921 me ; as also H637 the king H4428 's words H1697 that H834 he had spoken H559 unto me . And they said H559 , Let us rise up H6965 and build H1129 . So they strengthened H2388 their hands H3027 for this good H2896 work .
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19. When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, "What is this you're doing? Are you rebelling against the king?"
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19. But when Sanballat H5571 the Horonite H2772 , and Tobiah H2900 the servant H5650 , the Ammonite H5984 , and Geshem H1654 the Arabian H6163 , heard H8085 it , they laughed us to scorn H3932 , and despised H959 H5921 us , and said H559 , What H4100 is this H2088 thing H1697 that H834 ye H859 do H6213 ? will ye H859 rebel H4775 against H5921 the king H4428 ?
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20. I gave them this reply, "The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem."
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20. Then answered H7725 H1697 I them , and said H559 unto them , The God H430 of heaven H8064 , he H1931 will prosper H6743 us ; therefore we H587 his servants H5650 will arise H6965 and build H1129 : but ye have no H369 portion H2506 , nor right H6666 , nor memorial H2146 , in Jerusalem H3389 .
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