³ but I said to the king, “May the king live forever!^(A) Why should my face not look sad when the city^(B) where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?^(C)”

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.^(A) Come, let us rebuild the wall^(B) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.^(C)”

³ They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.^(A)”

¹³ The Valley Gate^(A) was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah.^(B) They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits^[a] of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.^(C)