Nehemiah 2:15-17

New Catholic Bible

¹⁵ Therefore, I went up by way of the valley in the dark, examining the wall until I once again reached the Valley Gate and re-entered the city. ¹⁶ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been doing. I had not as yet disclosed anything to the Jews, neither to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the magistrates, nor to any of the other persons who were to be involved in the work.^[a]

¹⁷ Rebuilding Jerusalem’s Walls. Then I said to them: “You now can realize the difficulty we face. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Therefore, we must rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be looked upon as a disgrace.”