Nehemiah 7:2-4

Amplified Bible

² I put my brother Hanani, with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for Hananiah was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many [of the others]. ³ I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the ^[a]sun is hot; and while the watchmen are still standing guard, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from the residents of Jerusalem, each at his post [on the wall], and each in front of his own house.” ⁴ Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people in it and the houses had not [yet] been built.