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 when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, 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?”

He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

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 by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, 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, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a 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.

Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”

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 joined together to half its height, for 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 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, they were very angry;

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

and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.

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

But we made our prayer to 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.”

Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build 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.”

Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and 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.”

When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack 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.

Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups 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.”

I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, 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.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to 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

From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and 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.

Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.

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

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

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.

I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

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

Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, rally there to 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 did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

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.”

Likewise at the same time I said 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.”

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 brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.