1Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall. So he became very angry and upset. He made fun of the Jews.2He spoke to his friends and the army of Samaria. He said, ‘What are those Jews trying to do? Can they make their city wall like new again? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish everything in a single day? The stones from their city wall and buildings are piled up like rubble. And everything has been badly burned. Can they use those stones to rebuild everything again?’3Tobiah from Ammon was at Sanballat’s side. He said, ‘What are they building? They’re putting up a stone wall. But suppose a fox climbs on top of it. Even that will break it down!’4I prayed to God. I said, ‘Our God, please listen to our prayer. Some people hate us. They’re saying bad things about us. So let others say bad things about them. Let them be carried off like stolen goods. Let them be taken to another country as prisoners.5Don’t hide your eyes from their guilt. Don’t forgive their sins. They have said bad things about the builders.’6So we rebuilt the wall. We repaired it until all of it was half as high as we wanted it to be. The people worked with all their heart.7But Sanballat and Tobiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls continued to be repaired. The Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard about it too. They heard that the gaps in the wall were being filled in. So they were very angry.8All of them made evil plans to come and fight against Jerusalem. They wanted to stir up trouble against it.9But we prayed to our God. We put guards on duty day and night to watch out for danger.10During that time, the people in Judah spoke up. They said, ‘The workers are getting weaker and weaker all the time. Broken stones are piled up everywhere. They are in our way. So we can’t rebuild the wall.’11And our enemies said, ‘We will be right there among them. We’ll kill them. We’ll put an end to their work. We’ll do it before they even know it or see us.’12Then the Jews who lived near our enemies came to us. They told us ten times, ‘No matter where you are, they’ll attack us.’13So I stationed some people behind the lowest parts of the wall. That’s where our enemies could easily attack us. I stationed the people family by family. They had their swords, spears and bows with them.14I looked things over. Then I stood up and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, ‘Don’t be afraid of your enemies. Remember the Lord. He is great and powerful. So fight for your families. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes.’15Our enemies heard that we knew what they were trying to do. They heard that God had blocked their evil plans. So all of us returned to the wall. Each of us did our own work.16From that day on, half of my men did the work. The other half were given spears, shields, bows and armour. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah.17The people continued to build the wall. The people who carried supplies did their work with one hand. They held a weapon in the other hand.18Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who blew the trumpet stayed with me.19Then I spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said, ‘This is a big job. It covers a lot of territory. We’re separated too far from one another along the wall.20When you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us at that location. Our God will fight for us!’21So we continued the work. Half of the men held spears. We worked from the first light of sunrise until the stars came out at night.22At that time I also spoke to the people. I told them, ‘Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. Then they can guard us at night. And they can work during the day.’23My relatives and I didn’t take off our clothes. My men and the guards didn’t take theirs off either. Each man kept his weapon with him, even when he went to get water.
Nehemiah 4
English Standard Version
Opposition to the Work
1[1] Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. (Ne 2:10; Ne 2:19; Ne 4:7)2And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves?[2] Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” (1Ki 16:24)3Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” (Ne 4:1; La 5:18)4Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. (Ps 79:12; Ps 123:3)5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. (Ps 69:27; Ps 109:14; Jer 18:23)6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.7[3] But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. (Ne 4:1)8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. (Ps 83:3)9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.10In Judah it was said,[4] “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.”11And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”12At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.”[5]13So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.14And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials 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, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” (Nu 14:9; De 1:29; De 7:21; De 10:17; 2Sa 10:12)
The Work Resumes
15When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. (Job 5:12)16From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, (2Ch 26:14)17who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me.19And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. (Ne 4:14)20In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (Ex 14:14; Ex 14:25; De 1:30; De 3:22; De 20:4; Jos 23:10)21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.22I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.”23So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.[6] (Ne 4:17)