¹⁵ So I went up the valley at night, inspecting the wall. Finally, I turned and went back in through the Valley Gate. ¹⁶ The guards 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, the officers, or any of the others who would do the work.

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