< Nehemiah 4 >

1 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;
Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked the Jews.
2 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?
In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?
3 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!
Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”
4 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;
Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.
5 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.
Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.
6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, —and 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 desire to work.
7 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;
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.
8 and they conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, —and to cause it harm;
They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 howbeit we prayed unto our God, —and set a watch against them, day and night, because of them.
But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.
10 Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, —and, we, are not able to build at the wall;
Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild the wall.”
11 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.
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”
12 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!
At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.
13 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.
So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 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.
Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
15 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.
It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16 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.
So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.
17 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.
The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.
18 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.
Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.
19 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:
I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
20 In what place soever ye shall hear the sound of the horn, thither, gather yourselves unto us, —our God, will fight for us.
You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 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.
So we were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
22 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.
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the day.”
23 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.
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.

< Nehemiah 4 >