Nehemiah 2:11-16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Preparing to Rebuild the Walls
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,(A) 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took[a] was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s[b] Well and the Dung Gate,(B) and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.(C) 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate(D) and the King’s Pool,(E) but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate(F) and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 2:12 Lit animal with me
- Nehemiah 2:13 Or Dragon’s
Nehemiah 2:11-16
Common English Bible
11 When I reached Jerusalem and had been there for three days, 12 I set out at night, taking only a few people with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God was prompting me to do for Jerusalem, and the only animal I took was the one I rode. 13 I went out by night through the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring to the Dung Gate so that I could inspect the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down, as well as its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
14 Then I went on to the Spring Gate and to the King’s Pool. Since there was no room for the animal on which I was riding to pass, 15 I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and returned by entering through the Valley Gate.
Let’s rebuild
16 The officials didn’t know where I had gone or what I was doing. I hadn’t yet told the Jews, the priests, the officials, the officers, or the rest who were to do the work.
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