Nehemiah was a cup bearer to the Persian King, Artaxerxes. With the king’s favor, Nehemiah went to Jerusalem as governor with authority to rebuild the city walls and gates. He arrived 13 years after Ezra, about 445 BC. Once Nehemiah got the work started, it was completed in 52 days.
After 12 years in Jerusalem, Nehemiah returned to see Artaxerxes as he had promised. During his absence from Jerusalem, some of his supervisors decided to make changes. The activity is covered in the last chapter.
Outline:
1A. The rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. Chapters 1-6
2A. The recounting of the original return in 536-535 BC. Chapter 7 (compare with Ezra 1)
3A. The revival of religious feelings. Chapters 8-12
4A. The reorganization of order in Jerusalem. Chapter 13
Key Verse: Nehemiah 1:4, “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.”