News from Jerusalem

1The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the citadel,

2Hanani, one of my brothers, came—he and some men from Judah—and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped, who were left from the captivity, and about Jerusalem.

3And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great trouble and disgrace, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”