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Nehemiah 1:2-4
New Catholic Bible
Nehemiah 1:2-4
New Catholic Bible
2 Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with some men from Judah. I asked them about the Jews—those who had survived the captivity—and about Jerusalem.
3 They replied: “Those who survived the captivity and remained in the province are in dire distress and badly demoralized. The wall of Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4 Upon hearing this, I sat down and wept,[a] mourning for several days while fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
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- Nehemiah 1:4 Sat down and wept: there was much for Nehemiah to be saddened by in Jerusalem. Walls represented safety for the people against intruders and a sense of independence and strength. The Jews needed to rebuild to gain a sense of control but were prevented from doing so by a previous edict (Ezr 4:6-23).
