Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls

9 Then I came to ⁱthe governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. 10 But when ^jSanballat the Horonite and ^kTobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, ^thow Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer ^usuffer derision.” 18 And I told them ^vof the 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.” ^wSo they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and ^xGeshem the Arab heard of it, ^ythey jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? ^zAre you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, ^a“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim¹ in Jerusalem.”