Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Then I said to them, 'You can see the trouble we're in - how Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won't be ashamed anymore.'
Nehemiah is rallying the people to rebuild Jerusalem's walls by honestly acknowledging their dire situation and calling them to action so they can restore their dignity.
📚 Historical Context
In the 5th century BC, the Jewish people had returned from exile in Babylon but found Jerusalem in ruins after its destruction by the Babylonians decades earlier. Nehemiah, a Jewish leader serving as cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, traveled to Jerusalem to inspect the damage and rally the survivors. This verse shows him addressing the local leaders and people, highlighting their vulnerability and calling for a united effort to rebuild the city's walls and restore their dignity.
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