Nehemiah 4

1 Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked the Jews.

And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

2 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?

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?

3 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!”

And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall. —

4 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.

Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity!

5 Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.

6 So we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire to work.

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

7 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.

And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

and conspired all of them together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

9 But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.

Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10 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.”

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

11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them and kill them, and put an end to the work.

12 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.

And it came to pass that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us so ten times, from all the places whence they returned to us,

13 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.

I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.

14 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.”

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

15 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.

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

16 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.

And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.

17 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.

They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon.

18 Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.

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

19 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.

And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extended, and we are scattered upon the wall, one far from another:

20 You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”

in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, thither shall ye assemble to us; our God will fight for us.

21 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.

And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.

22 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.”

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

23 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.

And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our garments: every one had his weapon on his right side.