Nehemiah 4

1 And it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that it displeased him, and he became very angry, and he mocked at the Jews.

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will people suffer them [to build]? will they sacrifice? will they complete it in one day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, seeing that they have been burnt?

And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?

3 And Tobiyah the 'Ammonite was near him, and he said, Even what they are building, if a fox were to run up, he would readily break through their stone wall.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.

4 Hear, O our God! how we are become a scorn; and bring their reproach back upon their own head, and give them up for prey in the land of captivity.

Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity:

5 And cover not up their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have taunted [us] in the presence of the builders.

and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders.

6 But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together up to the half thereof; for the people had a heart to work.

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half [the height] thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

7 And it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiyah, and the Arabians, and the 'Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were restored, and that the breaches began to be closed up, that it displeased them greatly.

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 wroth;

8 And they conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do it an injury.

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

9 But we prayed unto our God, and set a watch over them day and night, because of the others.

But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of the burden is failing, and there is much rubbish; and we are not able to build on the wall.

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 And our adversaries said, “They shall not know, nor see until we come in the midst of them, and slay them, and so stop the work.”

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they said unto us ten times, “From all places whence ye may return home [they intend to come] over us.”

And it came to pass that, when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from all places, Ye must return unto us.

13 I placed therefore on the lower parts of the place on the naked rocks behind the wall—there I placed the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, In the open places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 And I looked [about], and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: think on the Lord, the great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

15 And it came to pass, that, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, God frustrated their counsel: and we returned, all of us, to the wall, every one unto his work.

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

16 And it came to pass from that day forth, that the half of my young men wrought at the work, while the other half of them were holding the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the princes stood behind all the house of Judah.

And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought 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 Those that built on the wall, and those that bore burdens, with those that loaded, —every one with one of his hands wrought on the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18 And the builders had every one his sword fastened around his loins while they were building; and he that blew the cornet stood alongside of me.

and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extensive, and we are separated upon the wall, distant one from another.

And I said unto the nobles, 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 In what place [then] ye hear the sound of the cornet, thither must ye assemble unto us: our God will fight for us.

in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God shall fight for us.

21 So we labored at the work, while the half of them were holding the spears from the rising of the morning-dawn till the stars appeared.

So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his young man lodge within Jerusalem, so that they may be in the night a guard to us, and during the day for the labor.

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.

23 And neither I, nor my brothers, nor my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me—none of us took off our clothes, no one leaving them off even for washing himself.

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