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[1]וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ נִיסָ֗ן שְׁנַ֥ת עֶשְׂרִ֛ים לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֥סְתְּא הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יַ֣יִן לְפָנָ֑יו וָאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶת־הַיַּ֙יִן֙ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְלֹא־הָיִ֥יתִי רַ֖ע לְפָנָֽיו׃ |
[1]Now in the month Nisan in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, the wine stood before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I was not before time sad in his presence. |
[2]וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מַדּ֣וּעַ ׀ פָּנֶ֣יךָ רָעִ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ אֵֽינְךָ֣ חֹולֶ֔ה אֵ֣ין זֶ֔ה כִּי־אִ֖ם רֹ֣עַֽ לֵ֑ב וָאִירָ֖א הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ |
[2]And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing, but sorrow of heart. Then was I sore afraid, |
[3]וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לְעֹולָ֣ם יִחְיֶ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־יֵרְע֣וּ פָנַ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָעִ֜יר בֵּית־קִבְרֹ֤ות אֲבֹתַי֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ |
[3]And I said to the king, God save the king forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city and house of the sepulchres of my fathers lieth waste, and the gates thereof are devoured with fire? |
[4]וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לִי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ עַל־מַה־זֶּ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ |
[4]And the king said unto me, For what thing dost thou require? Then I prayed to the God of heaven, |
[5]וָאֹמַ֣ר לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ טֹ֔וב וְאִם־יִיטַ֥ב עַבְדְּךָ֖ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֧ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֣נִי אֶל־יְהוּדָ֗ה אֶל־עִ֛יר קִבְרֹ֥ות אֲבֹתַ֖י וְאֶבְנֶֽנָּה׃ |
[5]And said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, I desire that thou wouldest send me to Judah unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I may build it. |
[6]וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל ׀ יֹושֶׁ֣בֶת אֶצְלֹ֗ו עַד־מָתַ֛י יִהְיֶ֥ה מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ וּמָתַ֣י תָּשׁ֑וּב וַיִּיטַ֤ב לִפְנֵֽי־הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה לֹ֖ו זְמָֽן׃ |
[6]And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him) How long shall thy journey be? And when wilt thou come again? So it pleased the king, and he sent me, and I set him a time. |
[7]וָאֹומַר֮ לַמֶּלֶךְ֒ אִם־עַל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ טֹ֔וב אִגְּרֹות֙ יִתְּנוּ־לִ֔י עַֽל־פַּחֲוֹ֖ות עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר אֲשֶׁר֙ יַעֲבִיר֔וּנִי עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־אָבֹ֖וא אֶל־יְהוּדָֽה׃ |
[7]After I said unto the king, If it please the king, let them give me letters to the captains beyond the river, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah, |
[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׃ |
[8]And letters unto Asaph the keeper of the king's park, that he may give me timber to build the gates of the palace (which appertained to the house) and for the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king gave me according to the good hand of my God upon me. |
[9]וָֽאָבֹ֗וא אֶֽל־פַּֽחֲוֹות֙ עֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אִגְּרֹ֣ות הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח עִמִּי֙ הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שָׂ֥רֵי חַ֖יִל וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃ |
[9]Then came I to the captains beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. And the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. |
[10]וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע סַנְבַלַּ֣ט הַחֹרֹנִ֗י וְטֹֽובִיָּה֙ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּנִ֔י וַיֵּ֥רַע לָהֶ֖ם רָעָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א אָדָ֔ם לְבַקֵּ֥שׁ טֹובָ֖ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
[10]But Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah a servant an Ammonite heard it, and it grieved them sore, that there was come a man which sought the wealth of the children of Israel. |
[11]וָאָבֹ֖וא אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וָאֱהִי־שָׁ֖ם יָמִ֥ים שְׁלֹשָֽׁה׃ |
[11]So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. |
[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׃ |
[12]And I rose in the night, I, and a few men with me: for I told no man, what God had put in mine heart to do at Jerusalem, and there was not a beast with me, save the beast whereon I rode. |
[13]וָאֵצְאָ֨ה בְשַֽׁעַר־הַגַּ֜יא לַ֗יְלָה וְאֶל־פְּנֵי֙ עֵ֣ין הַתַּנִּ֔ין וְאֶל־שַׁ֖עַר הָאַשְׁפֹּ֑ת וָאֱהִ֨י שֹׂבֵ֜ר בְּחֹומֹ֤ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ אֲשֶׁר־ [הַמְפֹרוָצִים כ] (הֵ֣ם ׀ ק) (פְּרוּצִ֔ים ק) וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ אֻכְּל֥וּ בָאֵֽשׁ׃ |
[13]And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and came before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, how they were broken down, and the ports thereof devoured with the fire. |
[14]וָאֶֽעֱבֹר֙ אֶל־שַׁ֣עַר הָעַ֔יִן וְאֶל־בְּרֵכַ֖ת הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וְאֵין־מָקֹ֥ום לַבְּהֵמָ֖ה לַעֲבֹ֥ר תַּחְתָּֽי׃ |
[14]Then I went forth unto the gate of the fountain, and to the king's fish pool, and there was no room for the beast that was under me to pass. |
[15]וָאֱהִ֨י עֹלֶ֤ה בַנַּ֙חַל֙ לַ֔יְלָה וָאֱהִ֥י שֹׂבֵ֖ר בַּחֹומָ֑ה וָאָשׁ֗וּב וָאָבֹ֛וא בְּשַׁ֥עַר הַגַּ֖יְא וָאָשֽׁוּב׃ |
[15]Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and coming back, I entered by the gate of the valley and returned. |
[16]וְהַסְּגָנִ֗ים לֹ֤א יָדְעוּ֙ אָ֣נָה הָלַ֔כְתִּי וּמָ֖ה אֲנִ֣י עֹשֶׂ֑ה וְלַיְּהוּדִ֨ים וְלַכֹּהֲנִ֜ים וְלַחֹרִ֣ים וְלַסְּגָנִ֗ים וּלְיֶ֙תֶר֙ עֹשֵׂ֣ה הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה עַד־כֵּ֖ן לֹ֥א הִגַּֽדְתִּי׃ |
[16]And the rulers knew not whither I was gone, nor what I did, neither did I as yet tell it unto the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the noblemen, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that labored in the work. |
[17]וָאֹומַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חֹומַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה עֹ֖וד חֶרְפָּֽה׃ |
[17]Afterward I said unto them, Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. |
[18]וָאַגִּ֨יד לָהֶ֜ם אֶת־יַ֣ד אֱלֹהַ֗י אֲשֶׁר־הִיא֙ טֹובָ֣ה עָלַ֔י וְאַף־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־לִ֑י וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֔ינוּ וַיְחַזְּק֥וּ יְדֵיהֶ֖ם לַטֹּובָֽה׃ |
[18]Then I told them of the hand of my God, (which was good over me) and also of the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise, and build. So they strengthened their hand to good. |
[19]וַיִּשְׁמַע֩ סַנְבַלַּ֨ט הַחֹרֹנִ֜י וְטֹבִיָּ֣ה ׀ הָעֶ֣בֶד הָֽעַמֹּונִ֗י וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙ הָֽעַרְבִ֔י וַיַּלְעִ֣גוּ לָ֔נוּ וַיִּבְז֖וּ עָלֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ מָֽה־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתֶּ֣ם עֹשִׂ֔ים הַעַ֥ל הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אַתֶּ֥ם מֹרְדִֽים׃ |
[19]But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant an Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they mocked us and despised us, and said, What a thing is this that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king? |
[20]וָאָשִׁ֨יב אֹותָ֜ם דָּבָ֗ר וָאֹומַ֤ר לָהֶם֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם ה֚וּא יַצְלִ֣יחַֽ לָ֔נוּ וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו נָק֣וּם וּבָנִ֑ינוּ וְלָכֶ֗ם אֵֽין־חֵ֧לֶק וּצְדָקָ֛ה וְזִכָּרֹ֖ון בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ |
[20]Then answered I them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us, and we his servants will rise up and build: but as for you, ye have no portion nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem. |