Aconteció que en el mes de Nisán, en el año veinte^a del rey Artajerjes^b, estando ya el vino delante de él, tomé el vino y se lo di al rey^c. Yo nunca había estado triste en su presencia, 2 y el rey me dijo: ¿Por qué está triste tu rostro? Tú no estás enfermo; eso no es más que tristeza de corazón^a. Entonces tuve mucho temor, 3 y dije al rey: Viva para siempre el rey^a. ¿Cómo no ha de estar triste mi rostro cuando la ciudad, lugar¹ de los sepulcros de mis padres, está desolada y sus puertas han sido consumidas por el fuego^b? 4 El rey me dijo: ¿Qué es lo que pides? Entonces oré al Dios del cielo^a, 5 y respondí al rey: Si le place al rey, y si tu siervo ha hallado gracia delante de ti, envíame a Judá, a la ciudad de los sepulcros de mis padres, para que yo la reedifique. 6 Entonces el rey me dijo, estando la reina sentada junto a él: ¿Cuánto durará tu viaje, y cuándo volverás? Y le agradó al rey enviarme, y yo le di un plazo fijo^a. 7 Y dije al rey: Si le agrada al rey, que se me den cartas para los gobernadores de las provincias más allá del Río^1a, para que me dejen pasar hasta que llegue a Judá, 8 y una carta para Asaf, guarda del bosque del rey^a, a fin de que me dé madera para hacer las vigas de las puertas de la fortaleza^b que está junto al templo¹, para la muralla de la ciudad y para la casa a la cual iré. Y el rey me lo concedió, porque la mano bondadosa de mi Dios estaba sobre mí^c.

9 Fui entonces a los gobernadores de más allá del Río^a y les entregué las cartas del rey. Y el rey había enviado conmigo oficiales del ejército y hombres de a caballo^b. 10 Cuando se enteraron Sanbalat horonita y Tobías el oficial¹ amonita^a, les disgustó mucho que alguien hubiera venido a procurar el bienestar de los hijos de Israel. 11 Y llegué a Jerusalén y estuve allí tres días^a. 12 Y me levanté de noche, yo y unos pocos hombres conmigo, pero no informé a nadie lo que mi Dios había puesto en mi corazón que hiciera por Jerusalén, y no había ningún animal conmigo excepto el animal sobre el cual iba yo montado. 13 Salí de noche por la puerta del Valle^a hacia la fuente del Dragón y hacia la puerta del Muladar¹, inspeccionando las murallas de Jerusalén que estaban derribadas y sus puertas que estaban consumidas por el fuego^b. 14 Pasé luego hacia la puerta de la Fuente^a y hacia el estanque del Rey^b, pero no había lugar para que pasara mi cabalgadura¹. 15 Y subí de noche por el torrente^a e inspeccioné la muralla. Entonces entré de nuevo por la puerta del Valle y regresé. 16 Los oficiales no sabían adónde yo había ido ni qué había hecho, ni tampoco se lo había hecho saber todavía a los judíos, ni a los sacerdotes, ni a los nobles, ni a los oficiales, ni a los demás que hacían la obra.

17 Entonces les dije: Vosotros veis la mala situación en que estamos, que Jerusalén está desolada y sus puertas quemadas a fuego^a. Venid, reedifiquemos la muralla de Jerusalén para que ya no seamos un oprobio. 18 Y les conté cómo la mano de mi Dios había sido bondadosa conmigo, y también las palabras que el rey me había dicho. Entonces dijeron: Levantémonos y edifiquemos. Y esforzaron sus manos^a en la buena obra. 19 Pero cuando se enteraron Sanbalat horonita, Tobías el oficial¹ amonita y Gesem el árabe^a, se burlaron de nosotros^b, nos despreciaron y dijeron: ¿Qué es esto que estáis haciendo? ¿Os rebeláis contra el rey^c? 20 Y yo les respondí¹, y les dije: El Dios del cielo^a nos dará éxito; por tanto, nosotros sus siervos nos levantaremos y edificaremos, pero vosotros no tenéis parte ni derecho^b ni memorial en Jerusalén.

And it came about in the month Nisan, ^ain the twentieth year of King ^bArtaxerxes, that wine was before him, and ^cI took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? ^aThis is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “^aLet the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad ^bwhen the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” ^aSo I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.” 6 Then the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, “How long will your journey be, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and ^aI gave him a definite time. 7 And I said to the king, “If it please the king, let letters be given me ^afor the governors of the provinces beyond the River, that they may allow me to pass through until I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s ^aforest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of ^bthe fortress which is by the ¹temple, for the wall of the city and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because ^cthe good hand of my God was on me.

9 Then I came to ^athe governors of the provinces beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now ^bthe king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 When ^aSanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite ¹official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

11 So I ^acame to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my ¹mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by ^athe Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the ¹Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem ^bwhich were broken down and its ^cgates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to ^athe Fountain Gate and ^bthe King’s Pool, but there was no place for ¹my mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ^aravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that ^aJerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” 18 I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” ^aSo they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite ¹official, and ^aGeshem the Arab heard it, ^bthey mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? ^cAre you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, “^aThe God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, ^bbut you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

In the month of Nisan, ^ain the twentieth year of King ^bArtaxerxes, when wine was placed before him, ^cI took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not previously been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why do you look sad when you are not sick? ^aThis is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very frightened, 3 and I said to the king, “^aLet the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad ^bwhen the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4 The king said to me, “What do you request?” ^aSo I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, so that I may rebuild it.” 6 The king, beside whom the queen was sitting, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and ^aI gave him a definite time for my return. 7 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me ^afor the governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, so that they will allow me to pass through until I reach Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s ^aforest, so that he will give me timber to construct beams for the gates of ^bthe fortress which is by the temple, and for the city wall and for the house which I will occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for ^cthe good hand of my God was upon me.

9 Then I came to ^athe governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. Now ^bthe king had sent officers of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When ^aSanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite ¹official heard this, it caused them great displeasure that someone had come to see about the welfare and prosperity of the Israelites.

11 So I ^acame to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12 Then I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting in my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the one on which I was riding so as not to attract attention. 13 So I went out at night by ^athe Valley Gate toward the Dragon’s Well and to the Refuse Gate and inspected the walls of Jerusalem ^bwhich were broken down and its ^cgates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed over to ^athe Fountain Gate and to ^bthe King’s Pool, but there was no place for the animal that I was riding to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ^aravine of Kidron and inspected the wall; then I turned back and entered the city by the Valley Gate, and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who did the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in—how ^aJerusalem is desolate and lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 Then I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us ¹rise up and build.” ^aSo they thoroughly supported the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official and ^aGeshem the Arab heard about it, ^bthey mocked us and regarded us with contempt and said, “What is this thing you are doing? ^cAre you rebelling against the king?” 20 I answered them, “^aThe God of heaven has appointed us for His purpose and will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, ^bbut you have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”