11 So I went to Jerusalem and was there ^dthree days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer ^ederision.” 18 And I told them of ^fthe hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and ^gGeshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you ^hrebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but ⁱyou have no portion or right or claim¹ in Jerusalem.”

Opposition to the Work

1 ¹ Now when ⁿSanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves?² Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 ^oTobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a ^pfox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 ^qDo not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.

6 So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Pray for All People

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 ^zfor kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and ^aquiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is ^bpleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 ^cwho desires all people to be saved and to come to the ^dknowledge of the truth. 5 For ^ethere is one God, and ^fthere is one ^gmediator between God and men, the man¹ Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ^hransom for ⁱall, which is the testimony given ^jat the proper time. 7 For this I was ^kappointed a preacher and an ^lapostle ^m(I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8 I desire then that in every place the men should ⁿpray, lifting ^oholy hands without anger or ^pquarreling; 9 likewise also that ^qwomen should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and ^rself-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 ^sLet a woman learn quietly ^twith all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For ^uAdam was formed first, ^vthen Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but ^wthe woman was ^xdeceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved ^ythrough ^zchildbearing—if they continue in ^afaith and love and holiness, with self-control.