Nehemia 1:4

1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, ¹  crying and mourning for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Nehemia 2:11

Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. ²  When I had been there for three days,

Nehemia 2:13

2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the direction of the Well of the Dragons ³  and the Dung Gate, ⁴  inspecting ⁵  the walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.

Nehemia 2:15

2:15 I continued up the valley during the night, inspecting the wall. Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate, and so returned.

[1:4]  ¹ tn Heb “sat down.” Context suggests that this was a rather sudden action, resulting from the emotional shock of the unpleasant news, so “abruptly” has been supplied in the present translation.

[2:11]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:13]  ³ tn Or “Well of the Serpents”; or “Well of the Jackals” (cf. ASV, NIV, NLT).

[2:13]  ⁴ tn Or “Rubbish Gate” (so TEV); NASB “Refuse Gate”; NCV “Trash Gate”; CEV “Garbage Gate.”

[2:13]  ⁵ tc For the MT reading שֹׂבֵר (sover, “inspecting”) the LXX erroneously has שֹׁבֵר (shover, “breaking”). However, further destruction of Jerusalem’s walls was obviously not a part of Nehemiah’s purpose.