Nehemiah Chapter 2
So, during the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, there was some wine just chillin' in front of him. I picked up the wine and passed it to the king. Honestly, I wasn't even feeling down before that, no cap.
And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, {that} wine {was} before him: and I took up the wine, and gave {it} unto the king. Now I had not been {beforetime} sad in his presence.
The king was like, "Why you looking all bummed? You ain't sick, so what's the vibe?" I was shook, fr.
Wherefore the king said unto me, Why {is} thy countenance sad, seeing thou {art} not sick? this {is} nothing {else} but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
I replied to the king, "Long live the king! Why wouldn't I be down? My city, where my fam is laid to rest, is totally wrecked, and the gates have been burnt up."
And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, {lieth} waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
The king asked, "What you want then?" So I sent a quick prayer to the God of heaven, you feel me?
Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
I said, "If it vibes with you and I’ve got your favor, send me to Judah, to the city where my fam is buried, so I can rebuild it."
And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
The king was like, "How long you gonna be out? When you coming back?" He was totally down to send me, and I gave him a timeline.
And the king said unto 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. {queen: Heb. wife}
I added, "If it’s all good with you, can I get some letters for the governors across the river? They’ll help me get to Judah."
Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
And I need a letter to Asaph, the king's forest dude, for some timber to make beams for the palace gates and the city wall. The king was chill and granted me that, 'cause my God was backing me up.
And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which {appertained} to the house, 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.
I pulled up to the governors across the river and gave them the king's letters. He even sent army captains and horsemen with me, lit!
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.
When Sanballat and Tobiah got wind of it, they were super salty that someone came to help the Israelites.
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard {of it}, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
I arrived in Jerusalem and stayed there for three days, just vibing.
So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
When night fell, I got up with a few homies; I didn’t spill the tea on what my God put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and I didn’t have any beast with me except the one I was riding.
And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I {any} man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither {was there any} beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
I snuck out during the night through the valley gate, checked out the walls of Jerusalem that were all busted, and saw the gates were burnt.
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
Then I headed to the fountain gate and the king's pool, but there wasn’t enough space for my ride to get through.
Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool: but {there was} no place for the beast {that was} under me to pass.
I hiked up at night by the brook, checked the wall, then turned back and re-entered through the valley gate.
Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and {so} returned.
The rulers had no clue where I was or what I did; I hadn’t spilled anything to the Jews, priests, nobles, or anyone else involved in this.
And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told {it} to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work.
I said to them, "You see how messed up we are? Jerusalem is in ruins, and the gates are ablaze. Let’s rebuild the wall so we ain't a joke anymore."
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we {are} in, how Jerusalem {lieth} waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Then I shared how my God was blessing me and what the king said. They were like, "Bet, let’s get to building!" So they got hyped for this solid work.
Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for {this} good {work}.
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem heard about it, they laughed at us and were like, "What are you doing? You gonna rebel against the king?"
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard {it}, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What {is} this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
I told them, "The God of heaven will help us succeed; we’re gonna rise up and build. You guys don't have any stake, right, or memory in Jerusalem."
Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.