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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Nehemiah 2 Christian Standard Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/nehemiah/2.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/nehemiah/2-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CSB</a> > Nehemiah 2</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="../menu.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../nehemiah/1.htm" title="Nehemiah 1">◄</a> Nehemiah 2 <a href="../nehemiah/3.htm" title="Nehemiah 3">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">Christian Standard Bible</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/csb/esv/nehemiah/2.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Verses"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><section epub:type="chapter" id="csb-Nehemiah.2" /><h3 class="head1">Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.1" /><A name="2"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.1.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></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, <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.2" /> <A name="3"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.2.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.2.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a></p><p class="scripture">I was overwhelmed with fear <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.3" /> <A name="4"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.3.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? ”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.3.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.4" /> <A name="5"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Then the king asked me, “What is your request? ”</p><p class="scripture">So I prayed to the God of the heavens<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.4.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.5" /> <A name="6"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.5.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">a</span></a> <a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.5.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> so that I may rebuild it.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.5.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.6" /> <A name="7"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return? ” So I gave him a definite time,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.6.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and it pleased the king to send me.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.7" /> <A name="8"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.7.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.7.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.8" /> <A name="9"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> the city wall, and the home where I will live.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.8.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">a</span></a> <a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.3"><span class="xrfAlphabet">c</span></a></p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.9" /> <A name="10"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.9.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.10" /> <A name="11"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>When Sanballat the Horonite<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.10.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.10.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a></p><h3 class="head1">Preparing to Rebuild the Walls</h3><p class="noind"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.11" /> <A name="12"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.11.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.12" /> <A name="13"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.12.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> was the one I was riding. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.13" /> <A name="14"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.13.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> Well and the Dung Gate,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.13.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.13.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.14" /> <A name="15"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>I went on to the Fountain Gate<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.14.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and the King’s Pool,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.14.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.15" /> <A name="16"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.15.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and returned. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.16" /> <A name="17"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.17" /> <A name="18"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.17.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.17.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” <span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.18" /> <A name="19"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.18.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and what the king had said to me.</p><p class="scripture">They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened<a epub:type="noteref" href="#fn.Nehemiah.2.18.1"><span class="fnAlphabet">A</span></a> to do this good work.</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.19" /> <A name="20"></a><span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.19.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a> and Geshem the Arab<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.19.2"><span class="xrfAlphabet">b</span></a> heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king? ”</p><p class="scripture"><span epub:type="z3998:verse" id="start-Nehemiah.2.20" /> <span class="reftext"><a href="/nehemiah/2-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”<a epub:type="noteref" href="#xrf.Nehemiah.2.20.1"><span class="xrfAlphabet">a</span></a></p><br /><section id="footnotes-Nehemiah.2" class="fnSection"><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.3.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.3">2:3</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">my face</span></aside><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.5.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.5">2:5</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">city, the house of the graves of my fathers,</span></aside><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.8.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.8">2:8</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">enter</span></aside><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.12.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.12">2:12</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">animal with me</span></aside><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.13.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.13">2:13</a></span> Or <span class="italic">Dragon’s</span></aside><aside id="fn.Nehemiah.2.18.1"><span class="footnote-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.18">2:18</a></span> Lit <span class="italic">they put their hands</span></aside><br /><section id="cross-references-Nehemiah.2" class="xrfSection"><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.1.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.1">2:1</a></span> Ezr 7:1,8; Neh 1:1</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.2.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.2">2:2</a></span> Gn 40:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.2.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.1">2:1-2</a></span> Pr 15:13</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.3.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.3">2:3</a></span> Ezr 4:12,21; Neh 1:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.4.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.4">2:4</a></span> Neh 1:4</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.5.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.5">2:5</a></span> Neh 1:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.5.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.5">2:5</a></span> Ezr 4:21; Dn 9:18</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.6.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.6">2:6</a></span> Neh 13:6</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.7.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.7">2:7</a></span> Ezr 4:8–9; 8:36</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.7.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.7">2:7</a></span> Ezr 8:22</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.8">2:8</a></span> Neh 7:2</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.8">2:8</a></span> Ezr 3:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.8.3"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.8">2:8</a></span> Ezr 7:6; Neh 2:18</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.9.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.9">2:9</a></span> Ezr 8:36</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.10.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.10">2:10</a></span> Jos 16:3,5; 18:13</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.10.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.10">2:10</a></span> Neh 4:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.11.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.11">2:11</a></span> Ezr 8:32</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.13.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.13">2:13</a></span> Neh 3:13</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.13.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.13">2:13</a></span> Ezr 4:12; Neh 1:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.14.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.14">2:14</a></span> Neh 3:15; 12:37</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.14.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.14">2:14</a></span> 2Kg 18:17; 20:20</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.15.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.15">2:15</a></span> Neh 3:13</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.17.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.17">2:17</a></span> Ezr 4:12; Neh 1:3; 2:3</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.17.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.17">2:17</a></span> Neh 2:5</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.18.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.18">2:18</a></span> Ezr 7:9; Neh 2:8</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.19.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.19">2:19</a></span> Neh 4:7</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.19.2"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.19">2:19</a></span> Neh 6:1,6</aside><aside id="xrf.Nehemiah.2.20.1"><span class="cross-reference"><a href="#start-Nehemiah.2.19">2:19-20</a></span> Ezr 4:3–4</aside><br /><section id="study-notes-Nehemiah.2" class="snSection"><br /></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Christian Standard Bible. 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