11. Three days after arriving in Jerusalem,
12. I got up during the night and left my house. I took some men with me, without telling anyone what I thought God wanted me to do for the city. The only animal I took was the donkey I rode on.
13. I went through Valley Gate on the west, then south past Dragon Spring, before coming to Rubbish Gate. As I rode along, I took a good look at the crumbled walls of the city and the gates that had been torn down and burnt.
14. On the east side of the city, I headed north to Fountain Gate and King's Pool, but then the path became too narrow for my donkey.
15. So I went down to Kidron Valley and looked at the wall from there. Then before daylight I returned to the city through Valley Gate.
16. None of the city officials knew what I had in mind. And I had not even told any of the Jews—not the priests, the leaders, the officials, or any other Jews who would be helping in the work.
17. But when I got back, I said to them, “Jerusalem is truly in a mess! The gates have been torn down and burnt, and everything is in ruins. We must rebuild the city wall so that we can again take pride in our city.”