Nehemiah 4

1 But when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, then was he wroth and sore grieued, and mocked the Iewes,

And it cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard that we are building the wall, that it is displeasing to him, and he is very angry and mocketh at the Jews,

2 And sayde before his brethren and the armie of Samaria, thus he sayde, What doe these weake Iewes? wil they fortifie them selues? wil they sacrifice? will they finish it in a day? will they make the stones whole againe out of the heapes of dust, seeing they are burnt?

and saith before his brethren and the force of Samaria, yea, he saith, 'What [are] the weak Jews doing? are they left to themselves? do they sacrifice? do they complete in a day? do they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish? — and they burnt!'

3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and said, Although they buylde, yet if a foxe goe vp, he shall euen breake downe their stonie wall.

And Tobiah the Ammonite [is] by him and saith, 'Also, that which they are building — if a fox doth go up, then it hath broken down their stone wall.'

4 Heare, O our God (for we are despised) and turne their shame vpon their owne head, and giue them vnto a pray in the lande of their captiuitie,

Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity;

5 And couer not their iniquitie, neither let their sinne be put out in thy presence: for they haue prouoked vs before the builders.

and do not cover over their iniquity, and their sin from before Thee let not be blotted out, for they have provoked to anger — over-against those building.

6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was ioyned vnto the halfe thereof, and the heart of the people was to worke.

And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined — unto its half, and the people have a heart to work.

7 But when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodims heard that the walles of Ierusalem were repayred, (for the breaches began to be stopped) then they were very wroth,

And it cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that lengthening hath gone up to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breeches have begun to be stopped, then it is very displeasing to them,

8 And conspired all together to come and to fight against Ierusalem, and to hinder them.

and they conspire, all of them together, to come in to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.

9 The we prayed vnto our God, and set watchmen by them, day and night, because of them.

And we pray unto our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by night, because of them.

10 And Iudah said, The strength of the bearers is weakened, and there is much earth, so that we are not able to build the wall.

And Judah saith, 'The power of the burden-bearers hath become feeble, and the rubbish [is] abundant, and we are not able to build on the wall.'

11 Also our aduersaries had sayde, They shall not knowe, neither see, till we come into the middes of them and slay them, and cause the worke to cease.

And our adversaries say, 'They do not know, nor see, till that we come in to their midst, and have slain them, and caused the work to cease.'

12 But when the Iewes (which dwelt beside them) came, they told vs ten times, From all places whence ye shall returne, they wil be vpon vs.

And it cometh to pass, when the Jews have come who are dwelling near them, that they say to us ten times from all the places whither ye return — [they are] against us.

13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall vpon the toppes of the stones, and placed the people by their families, with their swordes, their speares and their bowes.

And I appoint at the lowest of the places, at the back of the wall, in the clear places, yea, I appoint the people, by their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 Then I behelde, and rose vp, and said vnto the Princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afrayde of them: remember the great Lord, and fearefull, and fight for your brethren, your sonnes, and your daughters, your wiues, and your houses.

And I see, and rise up, and say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, 'Be not afraid of them; the Lord, the great and the fearful, remember ye, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.'

15 And when our enemies heard that it was knowen vnto vs, then God brought their counsell to nought, and we turned all againe to the wall, euery one vnto his worke.

And it cometh to pass, when our enemies have heard that it hath been known to us, and God doth frustrate their counsel, and we turn back, all of us, unto the wall, each unto his work;

16 And from that day, halfe of the yong men did the labour, and the other halfe part of them helde the speares, and shieldes, and bowes, and habergins: and the rulers stoode behinde all the house of Iudah.

yea, it cometh to pass, from that day, half of my servants are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the heads [are] behind all the house of Judah.

17 They that buylded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, and they that laded, did the worke with one hand, and with the other helde the sworde.

The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those lading, [each] with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.

18 For euery one of the buylders had his sworde girded on his loynes, and so buylded: and he that blewe the trumpet, was beside me.

And the builders [are] each with his sword, girded on his loins, and building, and he who is blowing with a trumpet [is] beside me.

19 Then saide I vnto the Princes, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The worke is great and large, and we are separated vpon the wall, one farre from another.

And I say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, 'The work is abundant, and large, and we are separated on the wall, far off one from another;

20 In what place therefore ye heare the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither vnto vs: our God shall fight for vs.

in the place that ye hear the voice of the trumpet thither ye are gathered unto us; our God doth fight for us.'

21 So we laboured in the worke, and halfe of them helde the speares, from the appearing of the morning, till the starres came foorth.

And we are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of the spears, from the going up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.

22 And at the same time said I vnto the people, Let euery one with his seruant lodge within Ierusalem, that they may be a watch for vs in the night, and labour in the day.

Also, at that time I said to the people, 'Let each with his servant lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, and they have been to us by night a guard, and by day [for] the work:'

23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my seruants, nor the men of the warde, (which followed me) none of vs did put off our clothes, saue euery one put them off for washing.

and there are none — I and my brethren and my servants, the men of the guard who [are] after me — there are none of us putting off our garments, each [hath] his vessel of water.