Nehemiah 2:9–20

⁹So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry^e with me.

¹⁰When Sanballat^f the Horonite and Tobiah^g the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.^h

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

¹¹I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days^{i 12}I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

¹³By night I went out through the Valley Gate^j toward the Jackal^a Well and the Dung Gate,^k examining the walls^l of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate^m and the King’s Pool,ⁿ but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; ¹⁵so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

¹⁷Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.^o Come, let us rebuild the wall^p of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.^q” ¹⁸I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me^r and what the king had said to me.

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

¹⁹But when Sanballat^s the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem^t the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.^u “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

²⁰I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,^v but as for you, you have no share^w in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”