Nehemiah 1–2

1The words of Nehemiah^a son of Hacaliah:

NEWS FROM JERUSALEM

During the month of Chislev^b in the twentieth year,^c when I was in the fortress city of Susa,^{d 2}Hanani,^e one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant^f that had survived the exile.^{g 3}They said to me, “The remnant in the province,^h who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned.”ⁱ

NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER

⁴When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying^j before the God of the heavens.^{k 5}I said,^l

Lord, the God of the heavens, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him^m and keep his commands,^{n 6}let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive^o to hear your servant’s prayer that I now pray to you day and night^p for your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins^A we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned.^{q 7}We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses.^{r 8}Please remember what you commanded your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples.^{s 9}But if you return to me and carefully observe my commands, even though your exiles were banished to the farthest horizon,^B I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have my name dwell.”^{t 10}They are your servants and your people. You redeemed them by your great power and strong hand.^{u 11}Please, Lord, let your ear be attentive^v to the prayer of your servant and to that of your servants who delight to revere your name. Give your servant success today,^w and grant him compassion in the presence of this man.^Cx

At the time, I was the king’s cupbearer.^y

NEHEMIAH SENT TO JERUSALEM

2During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^z when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ²so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”^aa

I was overwhelmed with fear ³and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I^A not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”^ab

⁴Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of the heavens^{ac 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,^Bad so that I may rebuild it.”^ae

⁶The 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,^af and it pleased the king to send me.

⁷I 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,^ag so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.^{ah 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,^ai the city wall, and the home where I will live.”^Caj The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.^ak

⁹I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.^al The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. ¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite^am and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.^a

PREPARING TO REBUILD THE WALLS

¹¹After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,^{b 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^D was the one I was riding. ¹³I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s^E Well and the Dung Gate,^c and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.^{d 14}I went on to the Fountain Gate^e and the King’s Pool,^f but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate^g and returned. ¹⁶The 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. ¹⁷So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.^h Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,ⁱ so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,^j and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened^F to do this good work.

¹⁹When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,^k and Geshem the Arab^l heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens 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.”^m