Nehemiah 4

1 Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked the Jews.

Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of the Jews.

2 In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?

And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they make themselves strong? will they make offerings? will they get the work done in a day? will they make the stones which have been burned come again out of the dust?

3 Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.

4 Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.

Give ear, O our God, for we are looked down on: let their words of shame be turned back on themselves, and let them be given up to wasting in a land where they are prisoners:

5 Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.

Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.

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

So we went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined together half-way up: for the people were working hard.

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.

But when it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath;

8 They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.

9 But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.

But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them.

10 Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild the wall.”

And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way, and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to put up the wall.

11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”

And those who were against us said, Without their knowledge and without their seeing us, we will come among them and put them to death, causing the work to come to a stop.

12 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.

And it came about that when the Jews who were living near them came, they said to us ten times, From all directions they are coming against us.

13 So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, spears, and bows.

So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, Have no fear of them: keep in mind the Lord who is great and greatly to be feared, and take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

15 It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.

And when it came to the ears of those who were against us, that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work

16 So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.

And from that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the back of the men of Judah.

17 The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.

Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part, everyone working with one hand, with his spear in the other;

18 Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.

Every builder was working with his sword at his side. And by my side was a man for sounding the horn.

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

And I said to the great ones and the chiefs and the rest of the people, The work is great and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall:

20 You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”

Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us; our God will be fighting for us.

21 So we were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.

So we went on with the work: and half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen.

22 I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the day.”

And at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night, so that at night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day.

23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.

So not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, took off his clothing, everyone went armed to the water.