Nehemiah, 4
1. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
1. Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the residents of Azotus saw that the repair of the wall was advancing, and that we had begun covering the holes.
2. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
2. They were greatly enraged, and all of them agreed to attack Jerusalem and humiliate me.
3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
3. So we prayed to our God, and set a guard day and night.
4. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
4. The people of Judah said, "The strength of the bearers is already failing, and much debris still remains; we can never rebuild the wall."
5. And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders.
5. And our enemies said, "We will take them by surprise before they know it. We will kill them and stop their work."
6. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
6. But some Jews who lived with them came to notify us about this. Ten times they said to us, "From all the places where they live, they shall set out against us."
7. But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
7. So I ordered that people be sta-tioned behind the wall, there in the lowest part. I stationed them by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.
8. And conspired all of them together to come [and] to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
8. They were afraid, but I stood up and said to the nobles, the counselors and the rest of the people, "Remember the Lord, great and magnificent, and fight for your brothers, sons and daughters, wives and homes."
9. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
9. When our enemies learned that we had been notified, that God willed that their plans be thwarted, we all returned to the wall, each one to his work.
10. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
10. But from that day on, only half of my men worked while the other half, with bows, spears, shields and armor, stood behind all the people of Judah
11. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
11. building the wall. The bearers picked up their loads with one hand because they held a weapon with the other hand.
12. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us [they will be upon you].
12. Each of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he worked. Beside me was the man assigned to sound the trumpet.
13. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
13. I told the nobles, the counselors and the rest of the people, "The extent of the work is great and we are scattered along the wall, far from one another,
14. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, [which is] great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
14. so when you hear the sound of the horn, come to our aid at once and our God shall fight for us."
15. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
15. So we scheduled the work from daybreak till the stars came out, half of us with weapons in hand.
16. And it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers [were] behind all the house of Judah.
16. I also said to the people, "Everyone shall spend the night within Jerusalem, with his servants. So we may keep guard by night and work by day."
17. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, [every one] with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a weapon.
17. Yet my brothers, my men, the men of the guard who followed me, and I did not take off our clothes when we slept. Everyone kept his weapon with him.
18. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and [so] builded. And he that sounded the trumpet [was] by me.
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19. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
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20. In what place [therefore] ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
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21. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
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22. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
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23. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, [saving that] every one put them off for washing.
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