Nehemiah 4

1 When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of the Jews

And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

2 in front of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these useless Jews trying to achieve? Do they think they can rebuild the wall? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Are they going to finish it in a day? Do they think they can re-use stones from piles of rubble and dirt, especially since they've all been burned?”

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”

And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —

4 I prayed, “Lord, please listen to us, because we are being treated with contempt. Rain down their insults on their own heads! Let them be taken away like plunder, prisoners in a foreign land!

Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity!

5 Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.

6 So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to work.

But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work.

7 When Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they were furious.

And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.

and conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

9 So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.

Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 Then people of Judah started grumbling, saying, “The workmen are exhausted. There's just too much rubble to clear. We'll never be able to finish the wall.”

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall.

11 Our enemies were saying to themselves, “Before they know it, before they're aware of anything, we'll appear right in among them, kill them, and put a stop to what they're doing.”

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them and kill them, and put an end to the work.

12 The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”

And it came to pass that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us so ten times, from all the places whence they returned to us,

13 So I positioned defenders behind the lowest, most vulnerable sections, of the wall. I had them take their positions by families, armed with their swords, spears, and bows.

I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.

14 After inspecting our defenses, I stood up and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, saying, “Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is powerful and formidable! Fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes!”

And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

15 When our enemies discovered that we knew about their plan, and that God had foiled it, we all went back to our work on the wall.

And it came to pass that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had defeated their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work.

16 From then on, half of my men were doing the work while the other half were ready to fight, holding their spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood behind all the people of Judah

And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.

17 who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.

They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon.

18 All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood beside me.

And the builders had every one his sword girded by his side, and built. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 Then I told the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “We have a lot to do everywhere, so we're very spread out along the wall.

And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extended, and we are scattered upon the wall, one far from another:

20 Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, thither shall ye assemble to us; our God will fight for us.

21 We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.

And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.

22 I also told the people, “Everyone including servants must spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can be on guard duty at night and work during the day.”

Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and [be for] labour in the day.

23 During that time none of us changed our clothes—not me or my brothers or my men or the guards with me. Everyone carried their weapons at all times, even to go for water.

And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our garments: every one had his weapon on his right side.