Nehemiah 4

1 But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

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

2 And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, which are burned?"

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?”

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."

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

4 "Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their insults on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

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!

5 do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

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

6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

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

7 But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, then they were very angry;

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.

8 and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion in it.

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

9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

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

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

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.”

11 Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

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.”

12 It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

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

13 Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

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.

14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

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!”

15 It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

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.

16 It happened from that time forth that half of my servants would do the work and half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the body armor; and the rulers stood behind the whole house of Judah

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

17 who were building the wall. And those who carried loads held their load with one hand and with the other held a weapon;

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

18 and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

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

19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

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.

20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

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

21 So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

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

22 Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day."

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.”

23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

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.