1So, in the month of Nisan, year twenty of King Artaxerxes, there was wine chillin' in front of him. I grabbed the wine and handed it to the king. I wasn't even sad before, no cap.

2The king was like, "Why you lookin' all down? You ain't sick, so what's the vibe?" I was shook, fr.

3I told the king, "Long live the king! Why wouldn't I be sad? My city, where my fam is buried, is all wrecked and the gates are burnt."

4The king asked, "What do you want?" So I prayed to the God of heaven, you know?

5I said, "If it vibes with you, and I've got your favor, send me to Judah, to my fam's burial city, so I can rebuild it."

6The king was like, "How long you gonna be gone? When you coming back?" He was down to send me, and I gave him a timeline.

7I added, "If it’s cool with you, can I get letters to the governors across the river? They’ll help me get to Judah."

8And I need a letter to Asaph, the king's forest keeper, for some wood to make beams for the palace gates and the city wall. The king was chill and granted me that, 'cause my God was on my side.

9I rolled up to the governors across the river and handed them the king's letters. He even sent army captains and horsemen with me, lit!

10When Sanballat and Tobiah heard about it, they were super salty that someone came to help the Israelites.

11I hit up Jerusalem and stayed there for three days, just vibing.

12I got up at night with a few homies; I didn't tell anyone what my God put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and I had no beast with me except the one I was riding.

13I snuck out at night by the valley gate, checked out the walls of Jerusalem that were all busted, and the gates were burnt.

14Then I went to the fountain gate and the king’s pool, but there was no room for my ride to pass.

15I hiked up at night by the brook, checked the wall, then turned back and re-entered through the valley gate.

16The rulers had no clue where I went or what I did; I hadn’t spilled the tea to the Jews, priests, nobles, or anyone else working on this.

17I told them, "You see how messed up we are? Jerusalem is wrecked, and the gates are on fire. Let’s rebuild the wall so we ain't a joke anymore."

18Then 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 good work.

19But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem heard it, they laughed at us and were like, "What are you doing? You gonna rebel against the king?"

20I told them, "The God of heaven will make us succeed; we’re gonna rise up and build. You guys got no stake, right, or memory in Jerusalem."

1And 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.

2Wherefore 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,

3And 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?

4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

5And 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.

6And 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.

7Moreover 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;

8And 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.

9Then 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.

10When 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.

11So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12And 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.

13And 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.

14Then 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.

15Then 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.

16And 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.

17Then 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.

18Then 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.

19But 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?

20Then 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.