Nehemiah 4

1 And it was just when he heard Sanballat that we [were] rebuilding the wall and it burned to him and he was angry greatly and he mocked the Jews.

Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews

2 And he said - before brothers his and [the] army of Samaria and he said what? [are] the Jews feeble doing ¿ will they restore for themselves ¿ will they offer sacrifices ¿ will they finish in the day ¿ will they restore the stones from [the] heaps of debris and they [are] burned.

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?”

3 And Tobiah the Ammonite [was] beside him and he said also [that] which they [are] building if it will go up a fox and it will break down [the] wall of stones their.

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!”

4 Hear O God our for we are contempt and return reproach their to own head their and give them to plunder in a land of captivity.

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.

5 And may not you cover over iniquity their and sin their from to before you may not it be wiped out for they have provoked to anger to before the builders.

Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.

6 And we rebuilt the wall and it was joined together all the wall to middle its and it belonged a heart to the people to work.

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.

7 And it was just when he heard Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites that it had gone up [the] repair of [the] walls of Jerusalem that they had begun the broken down [parts] to be closed and it burned to them exceedingly.

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,

8 And they conspired all of them together to come to wage war against Jerusalem and to make for it confusion.

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

9 And we prayed to God our and we stationed a guard on them by day and night because of them.

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

10 And it said Judah it has failed [the] strength of the burden-bearer[s] and the debris [is] much and we not we will be able to rebuild the wall.

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.”

11 And they said opponents our not they will know and not they will see until that we will come into [the] midst of them and we will kill them and we will put an end to the work.

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.”

12 And it was just when they came the Jews who were dwelling beside them and they said to us ten times from all the places which you will turn to us.

At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

13 And I stationed from [the] lower parts of the place from behind of the wall (in the open places *Q(K)*) and I stationed the people to clans with swords their spears their and bows their.

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.

14 And I saw and I arose and I said to the nobles and to the officials and to [the] rest of the people may not you be afraid of them [the] Lord great and awesome remember and fight on brothers your sons your and daughters your wives your and houses your.

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.”

15 And it was just when they heard enemies our that it was known to us and he had frustrated God purpose their (and we returned *Q(k)*) all of us to the wall each one to work his.

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.

16 And it was - from the day that half of young men my [were] doing the work and half of them [were] holding and the spears the shields and the bows and the body armor and the commanders [were] behind all [the] house of Judah.

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

17 Who were rebuilding the wall and the [ones who] were carrying in burden [were] carrying [it] with [the] one hand his doing the work and one [hand] [was] holding the weapon.

who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

18 And the builders each one sword his [were] girded on hips his and [were] building and the [one who] gave a blast on the ram's horn [was] beside me.

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

19 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to [the] rest of the people the work [is] much and extensive and we [are] separate on the wall distant each from brother his.

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.

20 In [the] place where you will hear [the] sound of the ram's horn there towards you will assemble to us God our he will fight for us.

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

21 And we [were] doing the work and half of them [were] keeping hold on spears from when came up the dawn until came out the stars.

So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.

22 Also at the time that I said to the people each one and servant his let them spend [the] night in [the] midst of Jerusalem and they will be for us the night a guard and the day work.

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.”

23 And not I and brothers my and servants my and [the] men of the guard who [were] behind me not we [were] stripping off clothes our each one weapon his the water.

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.