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1. In the month of Nisan in the 20 year of King Artaxerxes, some wine was brought to the king. I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never before been sad when I was with him, but now I was sad.
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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 asked me, "Are you sick? Why do you look sad? I think your heart is full of sadness." Then I was very afraid.
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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. But even though I was afraid, I said to the king, "May the king live forever! I am sad because the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and the gates of that city 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 said to me, "What do you want me to do?" Before I answered, 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. Then I answered the king, "If it would please the king, and if I have been good to you, please send me to Jerusalem, the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried. I want to go there and rebuild that city."
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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 and the queen who was sitting next to him asked me, "How long will your trip take? When will you get back here?" The king was happy to send me, so I gave him a certain time.
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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 would please the king to do something else for me, let me ask. Please give me some letters to show the governors of the area west of the Euphrates River. I need these letters so that the governors will give me permission to pass safely through their lands on my way to 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. I also need lumber for the heavy wooden beams for the gates, the walls, the walls around the Temple, and my house. So I need a letter from you to Asaph, who is in charge of your forests." The king gave me the letters and everything I asked for. The king did that because God was kind to me.
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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. So I went to the governors of the area west of the Euphrates River and gave them the letters from the king. The king had also sent army officers and soldiers on horses 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. Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about what I was doing. They were very upset and angry that someone had come to help the Israelites.
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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. I went to Jerusalem and stayed there three days. Then at night I started out with a few men. I had not said anything to anyone about what God had put on my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no horses with me except the horse I was riding.
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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. 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. While it was dark I went out through the Valley Gate. I rode toward the Dragon Well and the Gate of the Ash Piles. I was inspecting the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates in the wall that had been burned with 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. Then I rode on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool. As I got close, I could see there was not enough room for my horse to get 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 the valley in the dark, inspecting the wall. Finally, I turned back and went back in through the Valley Gate.
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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 and important Israelites didn't know where I had gone. They didn't know what I was doing. I had not yet said anything to the Jews, the priests, the king's family, the officials, or any of the other people 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. Then I said to them, "You can see the trouble we have here: Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Then we will not be ashamed anymore."
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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 also told them that God had been kind to me. I told them what the king had said to me. Then they answered, "Let's start to work, now!" So we began 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. But Sanballat from Horon, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard that we were building again. They made fun of us in a very ugly way. They said, "What are you doing? Are you turning 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. But this is what I said to them: "The God of Heaven will help us succeed. We are God's servants and we will rebuild this city. You cannot help us in this work because none of your family lived here in Jerusalem. You don't own any of this land, and you have no right to be in this place."
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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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