Nehemiah 2:9–20

⁹I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. ^xThe king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me. ¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite ^yand Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased. ^z

Preparing to Rebuild the Walls

¹¹After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, ^a12I 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 ^bwas the one I was riding. ¹³I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s ^cWell and the Dung Gate, ^dand I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ^e14I went on to the Fountain Gate ^fand the King’s Pool, ^gbut farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. ¹⁵So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate ^hand returned. ¹⁶The 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. ¹⁷So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. ⁱCome, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, ^jso that we will no longer be a disgrace.” ¹⁸I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, ^kand what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and they were encouraged ^lto do this good work.

¹⁹When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, ^mand Geshem the Arab ⁿheard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰I gave them this reply, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.” ^o