Nehemiah 1:2-3

Nehemiah’s brother and some other men came from *Judah to visit Nehemiah. He asked them for news about Jerusalem, which was the capital of *Judah.

Nehemiah was probably born in Persia. Probably he had never been to *Judah. But he cared about *Judah. It was the country that God had given to his people, called the *Jews. Nehemiah knew that the *Jews had not obeyed God. So God had punished them. God had made them live far away from *Judah in Babylon. But after 70 years, God had allowed them to return.

Nehemiah probably hoped to hear good news. God’s people were living back in the country that God had given to them. Nehemiah wanted to hear that they were happy there. He wanted to hear that they were serving God. But his brother gave him bad news. The people were not happy. Moreover, the walls of the city were just heaps of stones. We can read more about this in the book of Ezra. The people from other nations that lived near Jerusalem opposed the *Jews. They did not want the *Jews to build the city again (Ezra 4:7-23).

v4 I listened to this. Then I sat down and I wept. I was sad for many days and I ate no food. I prayed to the God of heaven.