Then I saidto them, "You seethe badsituationwe are in, that Jerusalemis desolateand its gatesburnedby fire.Come,let us rebuildthe wallof Jerusalemsothat we will nolongerbe a reproach."
"For we are slaves;yet in our bondageour Godhas not forsakenus, but has extendedlovingkindnessto us in the sightof the kingsof Persia,to giveus revivingto raiseup the houseof our God,to restoreits ruinsand to giveus a wallin Judahand Jerusalem.
They saidto me, "The remnanttherein the provincewhosurvivedthe captivityare in greatdistressand reproach,and the wallof Jerusalemis brokendownand its gatesare burnedwith fire."
So I wentout at nightby the ValleyGatein the directionof the Dragon'sWelland [on] to the RefuseGate,inspectingthe wallsof Jerusalemwhichwere brokendownand its gateswhich were consumedby fire.
The officialsdid not knowwhereI had goneor whatI had done;norhad I as yettoldthe Jews,the priests,the nobles,the officialsor the restwho didthe work.
Shallumthe sonof Col-hozeh,the officialof the districtof Mizpah,repairedthe FountainGate.He builtit, coveredit and hungits doorswith its boltsand its bars,and the wallof the Poolof Shelahat the king'sgardenas faras the stepsthat descendfrom the cityof David.
So the nationswill fearthe nameof the LORDAnd allthe kingsof the earthYour glory.
You makeus a reproachto our neighbors,A scoffingand a derisionto those aroundus.
You makeus a bywordamong the nations,A laughingstockamong the peoples.
And returnto our neighborssevenfoldinto their bosomThe reproachwith whichthey have reproachedYou, O Lord.
We havebecomea reproachto our neighbors,A scoffingand derisionto those aroundus.
I will makethem a terror[and an] evilfor allthe kingdomsof the earth,as a reproachand a proverb,a tauntand a cursein allplaceswhereI will scatterthem.
The Lordhas swallowedup; He has not sparedAllthe habitationsof Jacob.In His wrathHe has throwndownThe strongholdsof the daughterof Judah;He has brought[them] downto the ground;He has profanedthe kingdomand its princes.
My eyesbringpainto my soulBecauseof allthe daughtersof my city.
Moreover, I will makeyou a desolationand a reproachamong the nationswhichsurroundyou, in the sightof allwho passby.
[It will be] a dayfor buildingyour walls.On that daywill your boundarybe extended.
But Nahashthe Ammonitesaidto them, "I will make[it] with you on thiscondition, that I will gougeout the righteyeof everyoneof you, thus I will makeit a reproachon allIsrael."
