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.^(A) Come, let us rebuild the wall^(B) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.^(C)” ¹⁸ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me^(D) and what the king had said to me.

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

¹⁹ But when Sanballat^(E) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem^(F) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.^(G) “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,^(H) but as for you, you have no share^(I) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”