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Nehemiah / Nehemiah Inspects the Walls and Faces Opposition
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Nehemiah Inspects the Walls and Faces Opposition

Nehemiah 2:11-20

2
Chapter 2
11 I arrived in Jerusalem, and I was there three days. 12 I arose at night—I and a few men with me. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem, and there was no beast with me except the beast I was riding. 13 And I went out by the Gate of the Valley at night toward the Spring of the Dragon and toward the Gate of the Ashpit, and I was inspecting the wall of Jerusalem, which had been breached, and its gates devoured by fire. 14 I came to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no place for the beast under me to pass. 15 I went up through the streambed at night and inspected the wall. Then I returned and entered the Valley Gate, and I returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not told the Jews or the priests or the Charim or the officials or the rest who were doing the work until then. 17 And I said to them, "You see the evil that we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned with fire; come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a reproach." 18 And I told them about the hand of my God that was good upon me, and also the words of the king that he said to me. And they said, "Arise and let us build," and their hands were strengthened for the good. 19 And Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard, and they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? You are rebelling against the king." 20 And I answered them and said to them, "The God of heaven will prosper us, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or righteousness or memorial in Jerusalem."