Nehemiah asked about the Jews of captivity and begged that his brethren would keep the commandments of Moses. He was a cupbearer to the Persian king. He asked to be sent to Jerusalem to help build the Temple. He returned to the city with only a few men and tried to convince the people to rebuild the city's wall. Some doubted this wisdom. The high priest built a gate and sanctified it. Others began to build the wall. The governor was very angry and he mocked the Jews. Another tribesman told him that the walls were weak.
The people continued to work but other tribes began to conspire against them. The workers wore swords as they worked. They worked night and day and other cities began to envy the rise of Jerusalem.
When the wall was completed, Nehemiah put his brother in charge and told him to keep the gates shut. Israelites began to return to the city bringing considerable wealth. They asked Ezra to teach them the laws. They feasted and rephrased the covenant. They signed a pledge to adhere to God's rules. Priests and descendants of the original settlers came back to the city. They read the laws of Moses. When Nehemiah returned, he found that the people were not keeping the Sabbath. He made the priests cleanse themselves and told them to keep the laws.
