1 And it cometh to pass, in the month of Nisan, the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, wine `is' before him, and I lift up the wine, and give to the king, and I had not been sad before him;

1 וַיְהִ֣י׀ בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן שְׁנַ֥ת עֶשְׂרִ֛ים לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא¹ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יַ֣יִן לְפָנָ֑יו וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־הַיַּ֙יִן֙ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְלֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי רַ֖ע לְפָנָֽיו׃

2 and the king saith to me, `Wherefore `is' thy face sad, and thou not sick? this is nothing except sadness of heart;' and I fear very much,

2 וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מַדּ֣וּעַ׀ פָּנֶ֣יךָ רָעִ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ אֵֽינְךָ֣ חֹולֶ֔ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב וָאִירָ֖א הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

3 and say to the king, `Let the king to the age live! wherefore should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of the graves of my fathers, `is' a waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?'

3 וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְעֹולָ֣ם יִחְיֶ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָעִ֜יר בֵּית־קִבְרֹ֤ות אֲבֹתַי֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃

4 And the king saith to me, `For what art thou seeking?' and I pray unto the God of the heavens,

4 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

5 and say to the king, `If to the king `it be' good, and if thy servant be pleasing before thee, that thou send me unto Judah, unto the city of the graves of my fathers, and I built it.'

5 וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ טֹ֔וב וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־עִ֛יר קִבְרֹ֥ות אֲבֹתַ֖י וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃

6 And the king saith to me (and the queen is sitting near him), `How long is thy journey? and when dost thou return?' and it is good before the king, and he sendeth me away, and I set to him a time.

6 וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל׀ יֹושֶׁ֣בֶת אֶצְלֹ֗ו עַד־מָתַ֛י יִהְיֶ֥ה מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ וּמָתַ֣י תָּשׁ֑וּב וַיִּיטַ֤ב לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה לֹ֖ו זְמָֽן׃

7 And I say to the king, `If to the king `it be' good, letters let be given to me for the governors beyond the River, that they let me pass over till that I come in unto Judah:

7 וָאֹומַר֮ לַמֶּלֶךְ֒ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ טֹ֔וב אִגְּרֹות֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֔י עַֽל־פַּחֲוֹ֖ות עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר אֲשֶׁר֙ יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־אָבֹ֖וא אֶל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

8 and a letter unto Asaph, keeper of the paradise that the king hath, that he give to me trees for beams `for' the gates of the palace that the house hath, and for the wall of the city, and for the house into which I enter;' and the king giveth to me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

8 וְאִגֶּ֡רֶת אֶל־אָסָף֩ שֹׁמֵ֨ר הַפַּרְדֵּ֜ס אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַמֶּ֗לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִתֶּן־לִ֣י עֵצִ֡ים לְ֠קָרֹות אֶת־שַׁעֲרֵ֨י הַבִּירָ֤ה אֲשֶׁר־לַבַּ֙יִת֙ וּלְחֹומַ֣ת הָעִ֔יר וְלַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־אָבֹ֣וא אֵלָ֑יו וַיִּתֶּן־לִ֣י הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כְּיַד־אֱלֹהַ֖י הַטֹּובָ֥ה עָלָֽי׃

9 And I come in unto the governors beyond the River, and give to them the letters of the king; and the king sendeth with me heads of a force, and horsemen;

9 וָֽאָבֹ֗וא אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲוֹות֙³ עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אִגְּרֹ֣ות הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח עִמִּי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שָׂ֥רֵי חַ֖יִל וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃

10 and Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and it is evil to them -- a great evil -- that a man hath come in to seek good for the sons of Israel.

10 וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע סַנְבַלַּ֣ט הַחֹרֹנִ֗י וְטֹֽובִיָּה֙ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּנִ֔י וַיֵּ֥רַע לָהֶ֖ם רָעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א אָדָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ טֹובָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

11 And I come in unto Jerusalem, and I am there three days,

11 וָאָבֹ֖וא אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וָאֱהִי־שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֥ים שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃

12 and I rise by night, I and a few men with me, and have not declared to a man what my God is giving unto my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there is no beast with me except the beast on which I am riding.

12 וָאָק֣וּם׀ לַ֗יְלָה אֲנִי֮ וַאֲנָשִׁ֣ים׀ מְעַט֮ עִמִּי֒ וְלֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתִּי לְאָדָ֔ם מָ֗ה אֱלֹהַי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן אֶל־לִבִּ֔י לַעֲשֹׂ֖ות לִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וּבְהֵמָה֙ אֵ֣ין עִמִּ֔י כִּ֚י אִם־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י רֹכֵ֥ב בָּֽהּ׃

13 And I go out through the gate of the valley by night, and unto the front of the fountain of the dragon, and unto the gate of the dunghill, and I am measuring about the walls of Jerusalem, that are broken down, and its gates consumed with fire.

13 וָאֵצְאָ֨ה בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּ֜יא לַ֗יְלָה וְאֶל־פְּנֵי֙ עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין וְאֶל־שַׁ֖עַר הָאַשְׁפֹּ֑ת וָאֱהִ֨י שֹׂבֵ֜ר בְּחֹומֹ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ אֲשֶׁר־ הַמְפֹרוָצִים הֵ֣ם׀ פְּרוּצִ֔ים וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃

14 And I pass over unto the gate of the fountain, and unto the pool of the king, and there is no place for the beast under me to pass over,

14 וָאֶֽעֱבֹר֙ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר הָעַ֔יִן וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַ֖ת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְאֵין־מָקֹ֥ום לַבְּהֵמָ֖ה לַעֲבֹ֥ר תַּחְתָּֽי׃

15 and I am going up through the brook by night, and am measuring about the wall, and turn back, and come in through the gate of the valley, and turn back.

15 וָאֱהִ֨י עֹלֶ֤ה בַנַּ֙חַל֙ לַ֔יְלָה וָאֱהִ֥י שֹׂבֵ֖ר בַּחֹומָ֑ה וָאָשׁ֗וּב וָאָבֹ֛וא בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַגַּ֖יְא וָאָשֽׁוּב׃

16 And the prefects have not known whither I have gone, and what I am doing; and to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the freemen, and to the prefects, and to the rest of those doing the work, hitherto I have not declared `it';

16 וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים לֹ֤א יָדְעוּ֙ אָ֣נָה הָלַ֔כְתִּי וּמָ֖ה אֲנִ֣י עֹשֶׂ֑ה וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים וְלַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְלַחֹרִ֣ים וְלַסְּגָנִ֗ים וּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙ עֹשֵׂ֣ה הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה עַד־כֵּ֖ן לֹ֥א הִגַּֽדְתִּי׃

17 and I say unto them, `Ye are seeing the evil that we are in, in that Jerusalem `is' waste, and its gates have been burnt with fire; come and we build the wall of Jerusalem, and we are not any more a reproach.'

17 וָאֹומַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חֹומַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה עֹ֖וד חֶרְפָּֽה׃

18 And I declare to them the hand of my God that is good upon me, and also the words of the king that he said to me, and they say, `Let us rise, and we have built;' and they strengthen their hands for good.

18 וָאַגִּ֨יד לָהֶ֜ם אֶת־יַ֣ד אֱלֹהַ֗י אֲשֶׁר־הִיא֙ טֹובָ֣ה עָלַ֔י וְאַף־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־לִ֑י וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֔ינוּ וַיְחַזְּק֥וּ יְדֵיהֶ֖ם לַטֹּובָֽה׃

19 And Sanballat the Horonite heareth, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, and they mock at us, and despise us, and say, `What `is' this thing that ye are doing? against the king are ye rebelling?'

19 וַיִּשְׁמַע֩ סַנְבַלַּ֨ט הַחֹרֹנִ֜י וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה׀ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּונִ֗י וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙ הָֽעַרְבִ֔י וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ לָ֔נוּ וַיִּבְז֖וּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים הַעַ֥ל הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אַתֶּ֥ם מֹרְדִֽים׃

20 And I return them word, and say to them, `The God of the heavens -- He doth give prosperity to us, and we His servants rise and have built; and to you there is no portion, and right, and memorial in Jerusalem.'

20 וָאָשִׁ֨יב אֹותָ֜ם דָּבָ֗ר וָאֹומַ֤ר לָהֶם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ה֚וּא יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ לָ֔נוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֑ינוּ וְלָכֶ֗ם אֵֽין־חֵ֧לֶק וּצְדָקָ֛ה וְזִכָּרֹ֖ון בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃