Nehemiah 2

1 Now in the month [of new beginnings, the first month] of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes [a title given to Persian kings], when wine [fermented drink] was set before him, I took the wine [a drink offering] and gave it to the king [the royal ruler, having authority]. I had never been [experienced or shown] sad [having a troubled heart, distressed] in his presence [before his face, in his sight], word study 2 so the king [ruler, monarch] said to me, “Why [for what reason, on what account] is your face [countenance, presence] sad [downcast, sorrowful], though you are not ill [sick, weak]? This could only be [nothing but, except] sadness [sorrow, grief] of the heart [inner being, emotions].” I was overwhelmed [exceedingly, very] with fear [dread, reverence] word study 3 and replied to the king, “May the king [reign eternally] live forever! Why should I not be sad [have a sorrowful countenance, be grieved] when the city [place of my fathers’ sepulchres, ancestral home] where my fathers [ancestors, heritage] are buried lies in ruins [is desolate, waste], and its gates [city entrances, doors] have been destroyed [consumed, burned] by fire [divine judgment, refining flame]?” word study 4 “What [for what thing, on what account] is your request [what you seek, your desire]?” replied the king [the royal person, King Artaxerxes]. So I prayed [to intercede, to make supplication] to the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of heaven [the sky, the abode of God] word study 5 and answered the king [ruler, sovereign], “If it pleases [is good in the eyes of] the king, and if your servant [slave, bondservant] has found favor [grace, approval] in your sight [presence, face], I ask [request, petition] that you send me to Judah [the region of Judah, the land of my ancestors], to the city [town, metropolis] where my fathers [ancestors, forefathers] are buried [in their sepulchers, graves], so that I may rebuild [restore, renovate] it [the city, the walls].” word study 6 Then the king [with royal authority], with the queen [the king’s consort, sharing his power] seated beside [in close proximity to] him, asked me, “How long [for what duration, until when] will your journey [path, travel, or pilgrimage] take, and when [at what time, after how long] will you return [come back, turn back to the starting point]?” So it pleased [was agreeable, brought joy] the king to send [dispatch, commission] me, and I set [appointed, designated] a time [a specific moment, occasion]. word study 7 I also said to him, “If [it seems good] it pleases the king, may letters [written messages, official documents] be given to me for the governors [leaders, rulers] west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage [allow me to travel safely, convey me over] until I reach Judah [the land of the tribe of Judah, the region of Judea]. word study 8 And may I have a letter [a written message, decree] to Asaph, keeper [guardian, protector] of the king’s forest [paradise, garden], so that he will give me timber [trees, wood] to make beams [lay beams, construct] for the gates [entrances, doors] of the citadel [palace, fortress] to the temple [house of God], for the city wall [wall of protection], and for the house [dwelling place] I will occupy [enter, dwell].” And because the gracious [good, benevolent] hand of my God [Elohim, the supreme God] was upon me, the king granted [gave, allowed] my requests [petitions, pleas]. word study 9 Then I went [traveled, came] to the governors [rulers, leaders] west of the Euphrates [beyond the river] and gave them the king’s [royal, sovereign] letters [written messages, decrees]. The king had also sent [dispatched, commissioned] army officers [captains, commanders] and cavalry [horsemen, soldiers] with me [to accompany, to protect]. word study 10 But when Sanballat [from Horonaim] the Horonite and Tobiah [a servant, or slave] the Ammonite official heard about this, they were deeply disturbed [grieved, troubled] that someone had come to seek [search for, pursue] the well-being [welfare, prosperity] of the Israelites [the children of Israel, God’s chosen people]. word study 11 After I had arrived [come to, entered] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] and had been [existed, dwelled] there [in that place, at that time] three [a period of testing, a complete set] days [a literal 24-hour period, a figurative space of time], word study 12 I set out [at midnight, in the darkness] at night with a few [select, trusted] men. I did not tell anyone [reveal, disclose] what my God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] had laid [placed, put] on my heart [mind, spirit] to do [accomplish, bring about] for Jerusalem [the city of peace, the holy city]. The only animal [beast, livestock] with me was the one [the very same] on which I was riding [mounted, seated]. word study 13 So I went out [at the time of darkness, in the nighttime] at night through the Valley [of the deep, narrow gorge] Gate toward the Well [spring, fountain] of the Serpent [jackal, dragon] and the Dung [refuse, garbage] Gate, and I inspected [examine, view carefully] the walls [barriers, fortifications] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine] that had been broken down [torn down, destroyed] and the gates [entrances, doors] that had been destroyed [consumed, burned] by fire [burning, flame]. word study 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate [gate of the fountain, gate of the spring] and the King’s [belonging to the king, royal] Pool [reservoir of water, place for fish], but there was no room [place, space] for the animal [beast, large quadruped mammal] under me [beneath me, underneath] to get through [to pass, to cross over]; word study 15 so I went up [in the night, by the brook] the valley [a deep, narrow valley or gorge] by night [a time of darkness, opposed to day] and inspected [viewed, measured] the wall [a wall of protection, like the walls of Jerusalem]. Then I headed back [turned back, returned] and reentered [came in, entered] through the Valley [of the Kidron, a place of spiritual significance] Gate [a city entrance, a door to the city]. word study 16 The officials [rulers, those in charge] did not know [were unaware, had no knowledge] where I had gone [walked, traveled] or what I was doing [accomplishing, working], for I had not yet [till then, until that time] told [declared, shared] the Jews [people of Judah, Israelites] or priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] or nobles [prominent ones, leaders] or officials [rulers, authorities] or any other workers [those doing the work, laborers]. word study 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble [distress, evil case] we are in. Jerusalem [the city of peace] lies in ruins [waste, desolate], and its gates [city entrances] have been burned down [with fire, consumed]. Come, let us rebuild [build up, establish] the wall [wall of protection] of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace [reproach, shame, humiliated].” word study 18 I also told them about the gracious [helping, kindly] hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] of my God [Elohim, the supreme God] upon me, and what the king [ruler, monarch] had said to me. “Let us start [rise up, begin] rebuilding [to build, establish],” they replied, and they set [strengthened, made firm] their hands [an open hand; strength, a side or share] to this good [pleasant, beneficial] work [task, labor]. word study 19 But when Sanballat [from Horonaim] the Horonite, Tobiah [the servant, or slave] the Ammonite official, and Geshem [an Arabian, from the region of Arabia] the Arab heard about this, they mocked [laughed us to scorn, ridiculed] us and ridiculed [despised, held in contempt] us, saying, “What [how, in what manner] is this [thing, matter] you are doing [making, accomplishing]? Are you rebelling [resisting, defying] against the king [the monarch, the ruler]?” word study 20 So I answered them and said, “The God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] of heaven [the visible universe and the abode of God] is the One who will grant us success [prosperity, cause us to thrive]. We, His servants [bondservants, those devoted to His will], will start rebuilding [arise and build, restore], but you have no portion [inheritance, smoothness], right [justice, righteousness], or claim [memorial, reminder] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Israel].” word study