2 ARST { No one was supposed to look unhappy in the king’ s presence. But the king noticed that I did look sad.} So he asked me,“Why are you sad? I can tell that you are not sick. You must be unhappy about something.” This made me very afraid. BSB BSB: so the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? This could only be sadness of the heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3 ARST I replied to the king,“Your Majesty, I hope you will live{ a very long time}!{ I am sorry, but I cannot help being sad.} I am sad because the city of Jerusalem, the place where my ancestors are buried, lies in ruins.{ Our enemies} have burned down its gates.” BSB BSB: and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 ARST The king replied to me,“What do you want{ me to do for you}?”{ Before I answered him}, I prayed to the God who is in heaven. BSB BSB: “What is your request?” replied the king. So I prayed to the God of heaven
5 ARST Then I replied to the king,“If it seems like a good{ idea} to you, and if you are pleased with me, then{ please} allow me to go to Judah, to Jerusalem.{ I would like} to{ help my people} rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” BSB BSB: and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city where my fathers are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 ARST { I was able to speak freely because this was a private meal,} with the queen sitting next to the king. The king asked me,“How long would you be away?” I told him how long I would be gone. That was acceptable to him, and he gave me permission to go. So I told him what day{ I wanted to leave}. BSB BSB: Then the king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set a time.
7 ARST I also said to the king,“If it seems like a good{ idea} to you,{ please} give me letters{ that I can show} to the governors of{ the province} Beyond the River. In these letters,{ please tell them} to give me{ safe} passage through their province to Judah. BSB BSB: I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8 ARST { Please} also{ write} a letter{ for me} to Asaph, the man who takes care of your royal forest{ in that area}.{ Please tell} him to give me timber to make the beams to support the gates of the fortress that is near the temple.{ Please} also{ tell him to give me timber} for the city wall and for the house that I will live in.” God was with me and helping me, and so the king agreed to{ all of} my{ requests}. BSB BSB: And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house I will occupy.” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.
9 ARST { When I left to travel to Judah,} the king sent along some army officers and soldiers riding on horses{ to protect me}. When I reached{ the province} Beyond the River, I went{ to see} its governors. I showed them the letters the king had given me,{ and they gave me safe passage}. BSB BSB: Then I went to the governors west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
11 ARST But I made it{ safely} to Jerusalem{ despite their opposition}. I stayed there for three days, BSB BSB: After I had arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 ARST I did not say{ publicly} what God was leading me to do for Jerusalem. Instead, I got up{ secretly} in the night{ to inspect the city walls}. I brought{ only} a few other men with me.{ So that we could work quietly,} the only animal I brought with me was the one that I was riding. BSB BSB: I set out at night with a few men. I did not tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with me was the one on which I was riding.
13 ARST That night we went out through the Valley Gate and went past the Dragon Well to the Rubbish Gate. We made a careful inspection of the walls of Jerusalem. We{ noted where our enemies} had broken down the walls, and{ where} they had burned up the wooden gates. BSB BSB: So I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Well of the Serpent and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and the gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 ARST Then we came to the Fountain Gate and the Royal Pool.{ The opening there was so narrow that} the animal I was riding could not get through. BSB BSB: Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to get through;
15 ARST So we followed{ the path of} the{ Kidron} Brook,{ even though} it was night.{ From there} we were able to look{ up} at the wall{ and see its condition}.{ This route} brought us back{ to where we started}. We re- entered{ the city} through the Valley Gate, and I went back{ home without being seen}. BSB BSB: so I went up the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I headed back and reentered through the Valley Gate.
16 ARST The city officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing. To that point I had not said{ anything about it} to the Jewish leaders, the priests, the leading citizens, or the city officials.{ I had not approached} anyone{ about} doing the work{ of rebuilding the walls}. BSB BSB: The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews or priests or nobles or officials or any other workers.
17 ARST { But} now I said to them,“You see what a desperate situation we are in. You see that Jerusalem lies in ruins, and{ our enemies} have burned down its gates.{ We need to} do something{ about this!}{ I challenge all of you to} join me in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Then we will not have to feel ashamed any more.” BSB BSB: Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18 ARST Then I told them how God had been with me and had been helping me. I also told them how the king had given me permission to come.{ When they heard this,} they said,“Let’ s get going and start building!” They encouraged one another{ and committed themselves} to the project. BSB BSB: I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
19 ARST Then Sanballat the Horonite, his deputy Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard{ that we had started to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem}. They ridiculed us mercilessly. They said,“What you are doing is not going to amount to anything!{ But} you should not be rebelling against the king{ like that}!” BSB BSB: But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked us and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 ARST But I answered them{ firmly}. I said,“The God who is in heaven is the one who will enable us to complete this project. We are his chosen people. We are going to start rebuilding. But you have absolutely nothing to do with what happens in Jerusalem.” BSB BSB: So I answered them and said, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no portion, right, or claim in Jerusalem.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.