Nehemiah 2

Four months after his prayer, Nehemiah’s sadness is noticed by King Artaxerxes. Nehemiah courageously asks the king for permission to go to Judah and rebuild the city. The King grants Nehemiah’s request, gives him letters of passage to governors and a warrant for timber from the royal forest. Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem and secretly surveys the broken walls at night. When he reveals his plan, the people enthusiastically respond, "Let us rise up and build!" The local adversaries, Sanballat and Tobiah, immediately mock their efforts.