Nehemiah

Nehemiah serves as the sequel to Ezra and focuses on the final, crucial task of physically and spiritually restoring Jerusalem. Nehemiah, an exiled Jew serving as a cupbearer to the Persian king, receives permission to return and rebuild the city's protective walls, which had been in ruins for over a century. The book describes the intense pressure and opposition Nehemiah and the people faced from neighboring enemies, which they overcame through teamwork, faith, and Nehemiah's brilliant leadership. Once the walls are completed in an astonishing fifty-two days, Nehemiah and Ezra work together to restore the people's spiritual life by reading the Law, leading repentance, and reforming social justice issues, officially restoring the community.