Nehemiah 4

1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballath hadde herd, that we bildiden the wal, he was ful wrooth, and he was stirid greetli, and scornede the Jewis.

But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

2 And he seide bifor hise britheren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What doen the feble Jewis? Whether hethene men schulen suffre hem? Whether thei schulen fille, and make sacrifice in o dai? Whether thei moun bilde stonys of the heepis of the dust, that ben brent?

And he spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, which are burned?"

3 But also Tobie Amanytes, his neiybore, seide, Bilde thei; if a fox stieth, he schal `skippe ouer the stony wal `of hem.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."

4 And Neemye seide, Oure God, here thou, for we ben maad dispising; turne thou the schenschip on her heed, and yyue thou hem in to dispisyng in the lond of caytifte;

"Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their insults on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

5 hile thou not the wickidnesse of hem, and her synnes be not doon awei bifor thi face; for thei scorneden bilderis.

do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders."

6 Therfor we bildiden the wal, and ioyneden togidere al `til to the half part, and the herte of the puple was exitid to worche.

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

7 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballat `hadde herd, and Tobie, and Arabiens, and Amanytys, and men of Azotus hadden herd, that the brekyng of the wal of Jerusalem was stoppid, and that the crasyngis hadden bigunne to be closid togidere, thei weren ful wrothe.

But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, then they were very angry;

8 And alle weren gaderid togidere to come and fiyte ayens Jerusalem, and to caste tresouns.

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

9 And we preieden oure Lord God, and we settiden keperis on the wal bi dai and niyt ayens hem.

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

10 Forsothe Juda seide, The strengthe of the berere is maad feble, and the erthe is ful myche, and we moun not bilde the wal.

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

11 And oure enemyes seiden, Wite thei not, and knowe thei not, til we comen in to the myddil of hem, and sleen hem, and maken the werk to ceesse.

Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

12 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Jewis came, that dwelliden bisidis hem, and seiden to vs `bi ten tymes, fro alle places fro whiche thei camen to vs,

It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

13 Y ordeynede the puple in ordre, with her swerdis, and speris, and bouwis, in a place bihynde the wal bi cumpas.

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

14 Y bihelde, and roos, and seide to the principal men, and magistratis, and to `the tother part of the comyn puple, Nyle ye drede of her face; haue ye mynde of the greet Lord, and ferdful, and fiyte ye for youre britheren, and youre sones, and youre douytris, for youre wyues, and housis.

I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to 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 houses."

15 Forsothe it was doon, whanne oure enemyes hadden herd that it was teld to vs, God distriede her counsel; and alle we turneden ayen to the wallis, ech man to his werk.

It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 And it was doon fro that dai, the half part of yonge men made werk, and the half part was redi to batel; `and speris, and scheldis, and bouwis, and harburiouns, and princes aftir hem, in al the hows of men of Juda,

It happened from that time forth that half of my servants would do the work and half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the body armor; and the rulers stood behind the whole house of Judah

17 bildynge in the wal, and berynge birthuns, and puttynge on; with her oon hond thei maden werk, and with the tother thei helden swerd.

who were building the wall. And those who carried loads held their load with one hand and with the other held a weapon;

18 For ech of the bilderis was gird with the swerd on the reynes; and thei bildiden, and sowneden with clariouns bisidis me.

and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 And Y seide to the principal men, and magistratis, and to the tothir part of the comyn puple, The werk is greet and brood, and we ben departid fer in the wal, oon from anothir;

I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

20 in what euer place ye heren the sown of the trumpe, renne ye togidere thidur to vs; for oure God schal fiyte for vs.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

21 And we `vs silf schal make the werk, and the half part of vs holde speris, fro `the stiyng of the moreutid til that sterris go out.

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

22 And `in that tyme Y seide to the puple, Ech man with his child dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem, and whilis be to vs `bi nyyt and dai to worche.

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

23 But Y, and my britheren, and my keperis, and children, that weren after me, diden not of oure clothis; ech man was maad nakid oneli to waischyng.

So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.