And it came to passin the monthNisan, in the twentiethyearof Artaxerxesthe king, that wine was beforehim: and I took upthe wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had notbeen formerly sadin his presence. Wherefore the kingsaidunto me, Why is thy countenancesad, seeing thou art notsick? this is nothing else butsorrowof heart. Then I was verysoreafraid, And saidunto the king, Let the kingliveforever: whyshould notmy countenancebe sad, whenthe city, the placeof my fathers' sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gatesthereof are consumedwith fire? Then the kingsaidunto me, Forwhatdost thoumake request? So I prayedtothe Godof heaven. And I saidunto the king, Ifit pleasethe king, and ifthy servanthave found favorin thy sight, thatthou wouldest sendme untoJudah, untothe cityof my fathers' sepulchers, that I may buildit. And the kingsaidunto me, (the queenalso sittingbyhim,) Forhow longshall thy journeybe? and whenwilt thou return? So it pleasedthe kingto sendme; and I sethim a time. Moreover I saidunto the king, Ifit pleasethe king, let lettersbe givenme tothe governorsbeyondthe river, thatthey may convey me overtillI comeintoJudah; And a letteruntoAsaphthe keeperof the king's forest, thathe may giveme timberto make beamsfor the gatesof the palacewhich appertained to the house, and for the wallof the city, and for the housethatI shall enterinto. And the kinggrantedme, according to the goodhandof my Goduponme. Then I cametothe governorsbeyondthe river, and gavethem the king's letters. Now the kinghad sentcaptainsof the armyand horsemenwithme. When Sanballatthe Horonite, and Tobiahthe servant, the Ammonite, heard of it , it grievedthem exceedinglythatthere was comea manto seekthe welfareof the childrenof Israel. So I cametoJerusalem, and wastherethreedays. And I arosein the night, Iand some fewmenwithme; neithertoldI any manwhatmy Godhad putinmy heartto doat Jerusalem: neither was there any beastwithme, savethe beastthatIrodeupon. And I went outby nightby the gateof the valley, even beforethe dragonwell, and tothe dungport, and viewedthe wallsof Jerusalem, whichwere broken down, and the gatesthereof were consumedwith fire. Then I went ontothe gateof the fountain, and tothe king's pool: but there was noplacefor the beast that was underme to pass. Then went I upin the nightby the brook, and viewedthe wall, and turned back, and enteredby the gateof the valley, and so returned. And the rulersknewnotwhitherI went, or whatIdid; neitherhad I asyettold it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the restthat didthe work. Then saidI untothem, Yeseethe distressthatwe are in, howJerusalem lieth waste, and the gatesthereof are burnedwith fire: come, and let us build upthe wallof Jerusalem, that we benomorea reproach. Then I toldthem of the handof my Godwhichwas gooduponme; as alsothe king's wordsthathe had spokenunto me. And they said, Let us rise upand build. So they strengthenedtheir handsfor this good work . But when Sanballatthe Horonite, and Tobiahthe servant, the Ammonite, and Geshemthe Arabian, heard it , they laughed us to scorn, and despisedus, and said, What is thisthingthatyedo? will yerebelagainstthe king? Then answeredI them, and saidunto them, The Godof heaven, hewill prosperus; therefore wehis servantswill ariseand build: but ye have noportion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.