Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

¹¹ I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days^{(A) 12} I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

¹³ By night I went out through the Valley Gate^(B) toward the Jackal^[a] Well and the Dung Gate,^(C) examining the walls^(D) of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate^(E) and the King’s Pool,^(F) but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; ¹⁵ so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.^(G) Come, let us rebuild the wall^(H) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.^(I)” ¹⁸ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me^(J) and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

¹⁹ But when Sanballat^(K) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem^(L) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.^(M) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰ I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,^(N) but as for you, you have no share^(O) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”