Nehemiah’s Prayer Answered

And it came about in the month Nisan, (A)in the twentieth year of King (B)Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and (C)I picked up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, though you are not ill? (D)This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. And I said to the king, “(E)May the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad (F)when the city, the [a]site of my fathers’ tombs, is desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?”

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:3 Lit house

Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

During the month of Nisan[a] in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,(A) when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, so the king said to me, “Why are you[b] sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but depression.”[c](B)

I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I[d] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 2:1 = March–April; called Abib in the pre-exilic period; Ex 13:4; Dt 16:1
  2. Nehemiah 2:2 Lit Why is your face
  3. Nehemiah 2:2 Lit sadness of heart
  4. Nehemiah 2:3 Lit my face