Nehemiah 4

1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews

But it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it angered him, and he was greatly displeased, —and mocked the Jews;

2 before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”

and spake before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What are, these feeble Jews, doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of dust, when, they, have been burned up?

3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”

Now, Tobiah the Ammonite, was beside him, —so he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox should go up, he would break down their stone wall!

4 Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.

Hear, O our God, for we have become a contempt, and turn thou back their reproach upon their own head, —and give them up as a prey, in the land of captivity;

5 Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.

and do not cover their iniquity, and, their sin before thee, let it not be blotted out, —for they have caused vexation before them who are building.

6 So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and the people had a mind to work.

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

But it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem had gone up, that the breaches began to be stopped, that it angered them exceedingly;

8 and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.

and they conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;

9 So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.

howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.

10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”

Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, —and, we, are not able to build at the wall;

11 And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”

and our adversaries have said, They shall not know, neither shall they see, until we come into their midst, and slay them, —so shall we cause the work to cease.

12 At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

But it came to pass, when the Jews dwelling near them came in, then said they unto us, ten times, From all places whither ye shall turn, [they will be] upon us!

13 So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

So I set—on the lower slopes of the place behind the wall in the waste grounds, —yea I set the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.

14 After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and 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 homes.”

Then I looked and rose up, and said—unto the nobles and unto the deputies and unto the rest of the people, Do not ye fear because of them, —the great and fearful Lord, remember ye, so shall ye fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.

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

16 And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah

And it came to pass, from that day, the half of my young men, were working in the work, and, the half of them, were grasping the spears, the bucklers, and the bows, and the coats of mail, —but, the rulers, were behind all the house of Judah.

17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

They who were building at the wall and they who were carrying burdens, they who were lifting, [each man], with his one hand, was working at the work, and, with the other, was grasping the weapon.

18 And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.

Even they who were building, every man, had his sword girded upon his loins, and so was building, —and, he that sounded the horn, was by my side.

19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.

So I said unto the nobles and unto the deputies, and unto the rest of the people, The work, is great and large, —and, we, are separated upon the wall, far away, each man from his brother:

20 Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”

In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.

21 So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.

So, we, were working at the work, —one half of them, grasping the spears, from the uprisings of the dawn, until the coming out of the stars.

22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”

Moreover, at that time, I said to the people, Let, every one with his young man, lodge for the night in the midst of Jerusalem, —so shall they serve us, in the night, as a watch, and, the day, for work.

23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my young men, nor the men of the watch that followed me, none of us, put off our clothes, —every one [went] with his weapon to the water.