And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaĥshasta the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it to the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

And it was, in the month of Nissan, the twentieth year of Artachshast [(Darius)] the king, [they brought] wine before him [(in the courtyard)] and I took [(the cup of wine)] and gave it to the king, and I had [never before] been downcast before him [(but always cheerful)].

Wherefore the king said to me, Why is thy face sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid,

And the king said to me: Why are you downcast? This must be badness of heart [i.e., you must be plotting to poison me with the wine]; and I feared greatly [(for my life)].

and I said to the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of the tombs of my ancestors lies waste, and its gates are consumed with fire?

And I said to the king: May the king live forever. Why should I not be downcast when the city of the graves of my fathers [(Jerusalem)] is in ruins, and her gates consumed with fire?

Then the king said to me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

And the king said: What is your request [(and I shall grant it)], and I [(Nechemiah)] prayed before the G-d of heaven [(saying: So be it before the G-d of heaven that you [the king] grant my request)].

And I said to the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight that thou wouldst send me to Yehuda, to the city of the graves of my ancestors, that I may rebuild it.

And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, and if your servant is worthy in your eyes, [my request is] that you send me to Judah, to the city of the graves of my fathers and that I rebuild it.

And the king said to me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

And the king said to me (the queen sitting at his side): When do you wish to go and when will you return? And it [(my request)] was good before the king, and he sent me [i.e., he permitted me to go], and I gave him a time [(for my return)].

Moreover I said to the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may let me pass through until I come into Yehuda;

And I said to the king: If it pleases the king, let them [(your scribes)] give me letters [of authorization from you] to the governors across the river that they escort me [(in safety)] until I come to [Jerusalem in] Judah.

and a letter to Asaf the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

And [I request that] you send a letter to Asaf, keeper of the king's forests, that he give me timber for roofing the gates of the Temple walls and for the city walls and for the house in which I will live.

Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

And I came to the governors across the river, and I gave them the king's letters, (and the king had sent with me officers and horsemen [to escort me]).

When Sanvallat the Ḥoronite, and Toviyya the servant, the ῾Ammonite, heard of it, it displeased them greatly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Yisra᾽el.

And [when] Sanvalat the Choronite and Toviah, the Ammonite slave, heard [why I had come], it grieved them greatly that a man had come to seek the good of the children of Israel.

So I came to Yerushalayim, and was there three days.

And I came to Jerusalem and I stayed there for three days.

And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; and I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Yerushalayim: nor was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

And I arose at night, I and a few men with me, and I told no one what my G-d had placed it in my heart to do with Jerusalem; and there were no beasts with me, but only the beast on which I rode [(so that they could leave without being detected and he could execute what he had in mind)].

And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon’s well, and to the dung gate, and viewed the walls of Yerushalayim, which were broken down, and its gates which had been destroyed by fire.

And I went out at night [(with the few men who were with me)] through the Gate of the Valley towards Ein Tanin and to the Dung Gate [in the walls of the city], and I breached [(even more)] the walls of Jerusalem, which were [(already)] breached and whose gates had been consumed by fire.

Then I went on to the fountain gate and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

And I [wished to] pass on to the Spring Gate and to the King's pool, but there was no room [(in those breaches)] for the beast under me to pass on.

Then I went up in the night by the wadi, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

So I went up the valley at night, breaking the wall [(with the men who were with me)], and I returned and came to the Gate of the Valley, and I returned [(whence I had come)].

And the rulers knew not where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told it to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the rulers, or to the rest who did the work.

And the [city] officers did not know where I had gone and what I had done, and I had not told (of it) until then to the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officers, and the rest of the functionaries.

Then said I to them, You see the distress that we are in, how Yerushalayim lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Yerushalayim, so that we no longer suffer insult.

And [(the next day)] I said to them: You see the evil in which we find ourselves, that Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates consumed in fire. Let us go and build the wall of Jerusalem and not be [reduced to] shame anymore.

Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

And I told them of the hand of my G-d upon me for the good [(i.e., His having granted me favor in the eyes of the king)], and also the words of the king that he had spoken to me. And they said: Let us arise and build! And they strengthened their hands for the good [i.e., for the building of the wall and the towers of the city.]

But when Sanvallat the Ḥoronite, and Toviyya the servant, the ῾Ammonite, and Geshem the ῾Arvian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that you do? will you rebel against the king?

And Sanvalat the Choronite and Toviah the Ammonite slave and Geshem the Arab heard, and they mocked and scorned us, saying: What is this thing that you do? Would you rebel against the king!

Then I answered them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but you have no portion, or right, or memorial, in Yerushalayim.

And I rejoined: The G-d of heaven, He will prosper us, and we, His servants, will arise and build. As for you, [what business do you have with building the city wall]? You have no share or righteousness or remembrance in Jerusalem!