Nehemiah 2:8-18

8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s 1forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of 2the citadel which is by the 3temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house to which I will go.” And the king granted them to me because 4the good hand of my God was on me.

9Then I came to 5the governors of the provinces beyond the Euphrates River and gave them the king’s letters. Now 6the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10And when 7Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite 8official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel.

11So I 9came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12And I got up in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my 10mind to do for Jerusalem, and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13So I went out at night by 11the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Spring and on to the Dung Gate, and I was inspecting the walls of Jerusalem 12which were broken down and its 13gates which had been consumed by fire. 14Then I passed on to 14the Fountain Gate and 15the King’s Pool, but there was no place for 16my mount to pass. 15So I was going up at night by the 17ravine and inspecting the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16However, the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the rest who were doing the work.

17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that 18Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burned by fire. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let’s arise and build.” 19So they put their hands to the good work.