³⁷ At the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went straight up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.^(A)

²⁶ and the temple servants living^[a] on Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.^(A)

¹⁴ Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue.^(A)

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought them and made booths^[a] for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.^(A)

³ He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

8 ¹ all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel.^(A)

¹⁵ And Shallum son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of^[a] Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he rebuilt it and covered it and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David.^{(A) 16} After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of^[b] Beth-zur, repaired from a point opposite the graves of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.^(B)

⁷ Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David. ⁸ David had said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates.”^[a] Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”^{(A) 9} David occupied the stronghold and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward.^(B)