Nehemiah, a servant of king Artaxerxes, hears from a relative about the sad state of the city of Jerusalem. The walls are destroyed, the gates burned and the city in shambles. He prays about this situation and confesses to God that the city rightly deserves the punishment they have received. He also asks God to allow him to be involved in rebuilding the city. Nehemiah's position as cup-bearer to the king allowed him unprecedented access to the sovereign in order to ask for such a responsibility. The king grants Nehemiah a leave of absence and provides letters of passage for Nehemiah.
On arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah personally surveys the damage and required repairs. He then gathers men together and unites them for the task of rebuilding the walls. Neighboring cities and factions try to derail Nehemiah's attempts but the people took personal ownership of the task and were diligent in their work.
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