1
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat[H5571]heard[H8085] that we builded[H1129] the wall[H2346], he was wroth[H2734], and took great[H7235]indignation[H3707], and mocked[H3932] the Jews[H3064].
2
And he spake[H559]before[H6440] his brethren[H251] and the army[H2428] of Samaria[H8111], and said[H559], What do[H6213] these feeble[H537]Jews?[H3064] will they fortify[H5800] themselves? will they sacrifice?[H2076] will they make an end[H3615] in a day?[H3117] will they revive[H2421] the stones[H68] out of the heaps[H6194] of the rubbish[H6083] which are burned?[H8313]
3
Now Tobiah[H2900] the Ammonite[H5984] was by him[H681], and he said[H559], Even that which they build[H1129], if a fox[H7776] go up[H5927], he shall even break down[H6555] their stone[H68]wall[H2346].
4Hear[H8085], O our God[H430]; for we are despised[H939]: and turn[H7725] their reproach[H2781] upon their own head[H7218], and give[H5414] them for a prey[H961] in the land[H776] of captivity[H7633]:
5
And cover[H3680] not their iniquity[H5771], and let not their sin[H2403] be blotted out[H4229] from before[H6440] thee: for they have provoked thee to anger[H3707]before[H6440] the builders[H1129].
6
So built[H1129] we the wall[H2346]; and all the wall[H2346] was joined together[H7194] unto the half[H2677] thereof: for the people[H5971] had a mind[H3820] to work[H6213].
7
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat[H5571], and Tobiah[H2900], and the Arabians[H6163], and the Ammonites[H5984], and the Ashdodites[H796], heard[H8085] that the walls[H2346] of Jerusalem[H3389] were made up[H724], and that the breaches[H6555]began[H2490] to be stopped[H5640], then they were very[H3966]wroth[H2734],
8
And conspired[H7194] all of them together[H3162] to come[H935] and to fight[H3898] against Jerusalem[H3389], and to hinder[H6213] it.
9
Nevertheless we made our prayer[H6419] unto our God[H430], and set[H5975] a watch[H4929] against them day[H3119] and night[H3915], because[H6440] of them.
10
And Judah[H3063]said[H559], The strength[H3581] of the bearers of burdens[H5449] is decayed[H3782], and there is much[H7235]rubbish[H6083]; so that we are not able[H3201] to build[H1129] the wall[H2346].
11
And our adversaries[H6862]said[H559], They shall not know[H3045], neither see[H7200], till we come[H935] in the midst[H8432]among[H8432] them, and slay[H2026] them, and cause the work[H4399] to cease[H7673].
12
And it came[H935] to pass, that when the Jews[H3064] which dwelt[H3427] by them[H681]came[H935], they said[H559] unto us ten[H6235]times[H6471], From all places[H4725] whence ye shall return[H7725] unto us they will be upon you.
13
Therefore set[H5975] I in the lower[H8482]places[H4725]behind[H310] the wall[H2346], and on the higher places[H6706], I even set[H5975] the people[H5971] after their families[H4940] with their swords[H2719], their spears[H7420], and their bows[H7198].
14
And I looked[H7200], and rose up[H6965], and said[H559] unto the nobles[H2715], and to the rulers[H5461], and to the rest[H3499] of the people[H5971], Be not ye afraid[H3372] of them[H6440]: remember[H2142] the Lord[H136], which is great[H1419] and terrible[H3372], and fight[H3898] for your brethren[H251], your sons[H1121], and your daughters[H1323], your wives[H802], and your houses[H1004].
15
And it came to pass, when our enemies[H341]heard[H8085] that it was known[H3045] unto us, and God[H430] had brought[H6565] their counsel[H6098] to nought[H6565], that we returned[H7725] all of us to the wall[H2346], every one[H376] unto his work[H4399].
16
And it came to pass from that time[H3117] forth, that the half[H2677] of my servants[H5288]wrought[H6213] in the work[H4399], and the other half[H2677] of them held[H2388] both the spears[H7420], the shields[H4043], and the bows[H7198], and the habergeons[H8302]; and the rulers[H8269] were behind[H310] all the house[H1004] of Judah[H3063].
17
They which builded[H1129] on the wall[H2346], and they that bare[H5375]burdens[H5447], with those that laded[H6006], every one[H259] with one[H259] of his hands[H3027]wrought[H6213] in the work[H4399], and with the other[H259] hand held[H2388] a weapon[H7973].
18
For the builders[H1129], every one[H376] had his sword[H2719]girded[H631] by his side[H4975], and so builded[H1129]. And he that sounded[H8628] the trumpet[H7782] was by me[H681].
19
And I said[H559] unto the nobles[H2715], and to the rulers[H5461], and to the rest[H3499] of the people[H5971], The work[H4399] is great[H7235] and large[H7342], and we are separated[H6504] upon the wall[H2346], one[H376] far from[H7350]another[H251].
20
In what place[H4725] therefore ye hear[H8085] the sound[H6963] of the trumpet[H7782], resort[H6908] ye thither unto us: our God[H430] shall fight[H3898] for us.
21
So we laboured[H6213] in the work[H4399]: and half[H2677] of them held[H2388] the spears[H7420] from the rising[H5927] of the morning[H7837] till the stars[H3556]appeared[H3318].
22
Likewise at the same time[H6256]said[H559] I unto the people[H5971], Let every one[H376] with his servant[H5288]lodge[H3885]within[H8432]Jerusalem[H3389], that in the night[H3915] they may be a guard[H4929] to us, and labour[H4399] on the day[H3117].
23
So neither I, nor my brethren[H251], nor my servants[H5288], nor the men[H582] of the guard[H4929] which followed[H310] me, none of us[H587] put off[H6584] our clothes[H899], saving that every one[H376] put them off[H7973] for washing[H4325].