1 It happened in the chadash (month) Nayasan (Nisan), in the isharayam (twenty) shanah (year) of Arathachashashathaa (Artaxerxes) the malak (king), when yayan (wine) panayam (face) before him, that I nashaa (lift) up the yayan (wine), and nathan (give) it to the malak (king). Now I had not been rai (sad) panayam (face) in his presence.
2 The malak (king) amar (said) to me, “Why is your panayam (face) rai (sad), since you are not chalah (afflict)? This is nothing else but rai (sorrow) of lab (heart).” Then I was very much yaraa (fear / be afraid).
3 I amar (said) to the malak (king), “Let the malak (king) chayah (live) iwalam (eternity)! Why shouldn't my panayam (face) be sad, when the iyar (city), the bayath (house) of my ab (father)’ tombs, lies charab (waste), and its shair (gates) have been akal (eat) with ash (fire)?”
4 Then the malak (king) amar (spoke) to me, “For what do you baqash (make) request?” So I palal (prayed) to the Alahayam () of shamayam (Shamayam / Heavens).
5 I amar (said) to the malak (king), “If it tawab (good / proper function) the malak (king), and if your ibad (servant) yatab (has) found favor in your panayam (face), that you would shalach (send) me to Yahawadah (Yahawadah / Judah), to the iyar (city) of my ab (father)’ tombs, that I may banah (build) it.”
6 The malak (king) amar (said) to me (the shagal (queen) was also sitting by him), “For how long shall your mahalak (journey) be? And when will you shawab (turn)?” So it yatab (pleased) the malak (king) to shalach (send) me; and I nathan (give) him a zaman (time).
7 Moreover I amar (said) to the malak (king), “If it tawab (good / proper function) the malak (king), let agarawath (letters) be nathan (give) me to the pachawawath (governors) ibar (beyond) the nahar (river), that they may let me ibar (pass over/through) through until I bawaa (bring) to Yahawadah (Yahawadah / Judah);
8 And a agarath (letter) to Asap (Asaph) the keeper of the malak (king) paradas (forest), that he may nathan (give) me itz (timber) to make qarah (beams) for the shairay (gates) of the citadel by the bayath (house), for the chawamah (wall) of the iyar (city), and for the bayath (house) that I shall bawaa (come).” into. The malak (king) nathan (give) my requests, because of the tawab (good / proper function) yad (hand) of my Alahayam () on me.
9 Then I bawaa (bring) to the pachawawath (governors) ibar (beyond) the nahar (river), and nathan (give) them the malak (king) agarawath (letters). Now the malak (king) had shalach (send) with me sharay (captains) of the chayal (wealth / substance / capability / valor) and horsemen.
10 When Sanabalat (Sanballat) the charanay (horonite), and Tawabayah (Tobiah) the ibad (servant), the Imawanay (Ammonite), shamai (hearken / hear) of it, it grieved them rai (exceedingly), because a adam (man) bawaa (bring) come to baqash (seek) the tawab (good / proper function) of the banay (my son) of Yashar-Al (Israel).
11 So I bawaa (bring) to Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem), and was there shalawash (three) yamayam (days).
12 I qawam (rise up) in the layal (night), I and some mait (few) anashayam (men) with me; neither nagad (told) I any ayash (man / husband) what my Alahayam () nathan (give) into my lab (heart) to ishah (make) for Yarawashalam (Jerusalem); neither was there any animal with me, except the animal that I rakab (rode) on.
13 I yatzaa (go out / come out) out by layal (night) by the gayaa (valley) shair (gate), even panayam (face) the jackal's iyan (eye), and to the ashapath (dung) shair (gate), and shabar (viewed) the chawamath (walls) of Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem), which were paratz (broken) down, and its shair (gates) were akal (eat) with ash (fire).
14 Then I ibar (pass over/through) on to the spring shair (gate) and to the malak (king) barakah (pool): but there was no maqawam (place) for the animal that was under me to ibar (pass over/through).
15 Then ilah (go up / offer) I up in the layal (night) by the nachal (stream / river), and shabar (viewed) the chawamah (wall); and I shawab (turn) back, and bawaa (bring) by the gayaa (valley) shair (gate), and so shawab (turn).
16 The saganayam (rulers) didn't yadai (know) where I halak (move), or what I ishah (make); neither had I as yet nagad (told) it to the Yahawaday (Jews), nor to the kahanayam (priests), nor to the charayam (nobles), nor to the saganayam (rulers), nor to the yathar (rest) who ishah (make) the malaakah (work).
17 Then I amar (said) to them, “You raah (see / saw) the rai (evil) case that we are in, how Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem) lies charab (waste), and its shair (gates) are yatzath (burned) with ash (fire). Yalak (come), let us banah (build) up the chawamah (wall) of Yarawashalam (Yarawashalam / Jerusalem), that we won't be disgraced.”
18 I nagad (told) them of the yad (hand) of my Alahayam () which was tawab (good / proper function) on me, as also of the malak (king) dabaray (words) that he had amar (spoke) to me. They amar (spoke), “Let's qawam (rise up) up and banah (build).” So they chazaq (strengthened) their yad (hand) for the tawab (good / proper function) work.
19 But when Sanabalat (Sanballat) the charanay (horonite), and Tawabayah (Tobiah) the ibad (servant), the Imawanay (Ammonite), and Gasham (Geshem) the Irabay (Arabian), shamai (hearken / hear) it, they ridiculed us, and bazah (despised) us, and amar (said), “dabar (word / matter) is this thing that you are ishah (make)? Will you marad (rebel) against the malak (king)?”
20 Then shawab (turn back / repent) I them, and amar (spoke) to them, “The Alahayam () of shamayam (Shamayam / Heavens) will tzalach (prosper) us. Therefore we, his ibad (servant), will qawam (rise up) and banah (build); but you have no chalaq (portion), nor tzadaqah (righteousness), nor zakarawan (memorial), in Yarawashalam (Jerusalem).”