9 The king sent some army officers and cavalry troops along with me, and as I traveled through the Western Provinces, I gave the letters to the governors.
10 But when Sanballat from Horon and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about what had happened, they became very angry, because they didn't want anyone to help the people of Israel.
11 Three days after arriving in Jerusalem,
12 I got up during the night and left my house. I took some men with me, without telling anyone what I thought God wanted me to do for the city. The only animal I took was the donkey I rode on.
13 I went through Valley Gate on the west, then south past Dragon Spring, before coming to Garbage Gate. As I rode along, I took a good look at the crumbled walls of the city and the gates that had been torn down and burned.
14 On the east side of the city, I headed north to Fountain Gate and King's Pool, but then the trail became too narrow for my donkey.
15 So I went down to Kidron Valley and looked at the wall from there. Then before daylight I returned to the city through Valley Gate.