1 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. 2 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, 3 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? 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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; 8 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.
9 ¶ 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. 10 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. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.
12 ¶ 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. 13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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.
17 ¶ 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. 18 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 . 19 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? 20 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.
Nehemija tiek sūtīts uz Jūdu
1 Bija nīsāna mēnesis ķēniņa Artakserksa divdesmitajā valdīšanas gadā. Vīns bija viņa priekšā, es ņēmu vīnu un devu to ķēniņam. Nekad agrāk es nebiju noskumis viņa priekšā. 2 Ķēniņš man vaicāja: “Kāpēc tu esi noskumis? Tu taču neesi slims?! Tātad noskumusi ir tava sirds!” Tad es varen izbijos. 3 Es teicu ķēniņam: “Ķēniņš lai dzīvo mūžīgi! Kā lai neskumstu, ja pilsēta, kurā ir manu tēvu kapi, ir nopostīta un tās vārti sadedzināti ugunī?”
4 Ķēniņš man sacīja: “Ko tad tu gribi?” Tad es pielūdzu debesu Dievu 5 un sacīju ķēniņam: “Ja ķēniņam tīk, ka tavs kalps gūst tavu vēlību, tad sūti mani uz Jūdu, uz pilsētu, kur ir manu tēvu kapi, un es to atjaunošu!” 6 Ķēniņš – viņam blakus sēdēja ķēniņiene – man sacīja: “Cik ilgi tu ceļosi, un kad tu atgriezīsies?” Ķēniņam labpatika mani sūtīt, un es noteicu laiku. 7 Es sacīju ķēniņam: “Ja ķēniņam tīk, lai man dod vēstules Viņpusupes apgabala pārvaldniekiem, ka viņi man ļauj nonākt Jūdā, 8 un vēstuli ķēniņa mežsargam Āsāfam, lai viņš man dod kokus baļķiem – tempļa vārtiem, pilsētas mūrim un namam, kur dzīvot.” Ķēniņš man to iedeva, jo Dieva roka bija ar mani uz labu. 9 Tad es devos pie Viņpusupes apgabala pārvaldniekiem un nodevu tiem ķēniņa vēstules. Ķēniņš man bija sūtījis līdzi karaspēka virsniekus un jātniekus. 10 Kad to uzzināja horonietis Sanballats un kalps Tobīja, amonietis, tie ļoti noskaitās, ka kāds ir nācis gādāt labumu Israēla dēliem.
Nehemija apskata Jeruzālemes mūrus
11 Es iegāju Jeruzālemē un paliku tur trīs dienas. 12 Naktī es cēlos, kopā ar mani bija daži vīri, bet es nevienam neteicu, ko man Dievs sirdī bija licis darīt Jeruzālemei. Man nebija cita lopa kā vien tas, uz kura es jāju. 13 Naktī es izgāju pa Ielejas vārtiem uz Šakāļu avotu un Mēslu vārtiem. Es pārlūkoju sagrautos Jeruzālemes mūrus un ugunī sadedzinātos vārtus. 14 Es pagāju garām Avota vārtiem, pie Ķēniņa baseina, bet tur nebija vietas, kur mans lops tiktu cauri. 15 Tad naktī es kāpu augšā pa ieleju un pārbaudīju mūri. Atpakaļ es nokļuvu pa Ielejas vārtiem, tā es atgriezos. 16 Bet ierēdņi nezināja, kurp es biju gājis un ko darījis. Es vēl to nebiju teicis jūdiem, priesteriem, dižciltīgajiem, ierēdņiem un pārējiem, kas strādā.
Celsimies un celsim
17 Tad es tiem sacīju: “Jūs redzat ļaunumu, kādā esam nonākuši, – Jeruzāleme ir panīkusi un tās vārti ir sadedzināti! Nāciet, atjaunosim Jeruzālemes mūrus, lai neesam par apsmieklu!” 18 Es tiem stāstīju par savu Dievu, ka viņš ir bijis man labvēlīgs, un arī to, ko man bija teicis ķēniņš. Un tie teica: “Sāksim atjaunot!” Un viņu rokas apņēmās darīt labu.
19 Kad to uzzināja horonietis Sanballats, kalps Tobīja, amonietis, un arābs Gešems, tie izsmēja un nicināja mūs, sacīdami: “Ko tad nu jūs taisāties darīt? Dumpoties pret ķēniņu?” 20 Bet es tiem atbildēju: “Debesu Dievs dod mums veiksmi, mēs esam viņa kalpi un sāksim visu atjaunot! Bet jums Jeruzālemē nav nekādas daļas – ne jums ir taisnība, ne jums būs piemiņa!”
