⁷ I also said to him, “If ·you are willing [it pleases/is good to you], give me letters for the governors of ·Trans-Euphrates [^Cprovinces west of the Euphrates River]. Tell them to let me pass safely through their lands ·on my way to [until I reach] Judah.

⁸ And may I have a letter for Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, telling him to give me timber? I will need it to make ·boards [beams] for the gates of the ·palace [or fortress], which is by the ·Temple [^Lhouse], and for the city wall, and for the house in which I will live.” So the king ·gave [granted] me the letters, because ·God was showing kindness to me [^Lthe gracious/good hand of God was on me].

¹⁰ When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite ·officer [official] heard about this, they were ·upset [very displeased] that someone had come to ·help [promote/seek the welfare of] the Israelites.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem

¹¹ I went to Jerusalem and ·stayed there three days [or after three days…]. ¹² Then at night I started out with a few men. I had not told anyone what God had ·caused me [put in my mind/heart] to do for Jerusalem. There were no animals with me except the one I was riding.