1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, the king was about to be served wine. I took the wine and gave it to the king. Since I had never seemed sad in his presence,
2 the king asked me, "Why do you seem sad? Since you aren’t sick, you must have a broken heart!"I was very afraid
3 and replied, "May the king live forever! Why shouldn’t I seem sad when the city, the place of my family’s graves, is in ruins and its gates destroyed by fire?"
4 The king asked, "What is it that you need?"I prayed to the God of heaven