Nehemiah 4

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

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, 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 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, seeing they are burnt?

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

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox goes up he shall 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, O our God, for we are despised, and so turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil 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 do not cover their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee, for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

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

So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half the height of it, 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.

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

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

and all of them together conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

9 So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend 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 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 has become feeble, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build 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 cause the work to cease.

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 who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places from where ye shall return to us they will be upon you.

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.

Therefore I set in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after 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 ranking men, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye 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.

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, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every man 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 it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants labored in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail. And the rulers 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 all built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves, every man with one of his hands labored in the work, and with the other held his weapon,

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

and the builders, every man had his sword girded by his side, and so built. And he who 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 ranking men, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated 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 whatever place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, gather ye there 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.

So we labored in the work, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning 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 each with his servant lodge within Jerusalem that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor 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.

So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone went with his weapon to the water.