וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה׃

vai-Y’-hee b’-Y’-may a-khash-VE-rosh, HU a-khash-VE-rosh ha-m’-LEKH may-HO-du v’-ad-KUSH, SHE-va v’-e-s’-reem u-m’-a, m’-dee-NAH

It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.

בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה׃

ba-ya-MEEM ha-HEM, k’-SHE-vet ha-ME-lekh a-khash-VE-rosh al ki-SAY mal-KU-to, a-SHER b’-shu-SHAN ha-bi-RAH

In those days, when King Ahasuerus occupied the royal throne in the fortress Shushan,

דִּבְרֵי נְחֶמְיָה בֶּן־חֲכַלְיָה וַיְהִי בְחֹדֶשׁ־כסלו [כִּסְלֵיו] שְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה׃

di-v’-RAY ne-khem-YAH ben-kha-khal-YAH, va-Y’-hee v’-kho-DAYSH kis-LEV, sh’-nat es-ree-YIM, va-a-NEE ha-YEE-tee b’-shu-SHAN ha-bi-RAH.

The narrative of Nechemya son of Chachalya: In the month of Kislev of the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress of Shushan,

וָאֶרְאֶה בֶּחָזוֹן וַיְהִי בִּרְאֹתִי וַאֲנִי בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵילָם הַמְּדִינָה וָאֶרְאֶה בֶּחָזוֹן וַאֲנִי הָיִיתִי עַל־אוּבַל אוּלָי׃

va-e-reh be-cha-ZON, va-y’-HEE bi-RE-o-TEE, va-a-NEE b’-shu-SHAN ha-bi-RA, a-SHER b’-ei-LAM ha-me-di-NAH, va-e-reh be-cha-ZON, va-a-NEE ha-YEE-tee al u-val o-LAI.

I saw in the vision—at the time I saw it I was in the fortress of Shushan, in the province of Elam—I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai River.