Nehemiah 2:15-17

Expanded Bible

¹⁵ So I went up the ·valley [ravine; ^Clikely the Kidron Valley; many of these walls no longer exist] at night, inspecting the wall. Finally, I turned and went back in through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶ The ·guards [officials] did not know where I had gone or what I was doing. I had not yet said anything to the Jewish people, the priests, the ·important men [nobles], the ·officers [officials], or any of the others who would do the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You can see the trouble we ·have here [are in]. Jerusalem is ·a pile of ruins [desolate], and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won’t be ·full of shame [disgraced; humiliated] any longer.”