Nehemiah 2:13-20 ▼

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, toward the dragon fountain and to the dung gate, and I viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.

14 Then I went on to the gate of the valley and to the king's pool; but there was no place for the beast that I was riding to pass.

15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and viewed the wall, and turned back and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.

16 And the authorities did not know where I had gone or what I was doing: neither had I as yet told it to the Jews nor to the priests nor to the governors nor to the scribes nor to the rest that did the work.

17 Then I said to them, You see the distress that we are in; for, behold, Jerusalem is lying waste and its gates are burned with fire; come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may be no longer a reproach.

18 Then f told them of the hand of my God which was with me for good, and also the king's words that he had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and mocked us, saying, What is this thing that you do? Perhaps you are rebelling against the king?

20 Then I answered them and said, The God of heaven has delivered us: therefore we are working, standing firm, and building; but you have no right nor memorial nor portion in Jerusalem.