Nehemiah 2:16-18

Expanded Bible

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.” ¹⁸ I also told them how ·God had been kind to [the gracious hand of God had been on] me and what the king had said to me.

Then they answered, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they ·began to work hard [^Lstrengthened their hands for this good work].