But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard
that we builded
the wall
, he was wroth
, and took great
indignation
, and mocked
the Jews
.
And he spake before
his brethren
and the army
of Samaria
, and said
, What do
these feeble
Jews
? will they fortify
themselves? will they sacrifice
? will they make an end
in a day
? will they revive
the stones
out of the heaps
of the rubbish
which are burned
?
Now Tobiah the Ammonite
was by him
, and he said
, Even that which they build
, if a fox
go up
, he shall even break down
their stone
wall
.
Hear, O our God
; for we are despised
: and turn
their reproach
upon their own head
, and give
them for a prey
in the land
of captivity
:
And cover not their iniquity
, and let not their sin
be blotted out
from before
thee: for they have provoked thee to anger
before the builders
.
So built we the wall
; and all the wall
was joined together
unto the half
thereof: for the people
had a mind
to work
.
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah
, and the Arabians
, and the Ammonites
, and the Ashdodites
, heard
that the walls
of Jerusalem
were made up
, and that the breaches
began
to be stopped
, then they were very
wroth
,
And conspired all of them together
to come
and to fight
against Jerusalem
, and to hinder
it.
Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God
, and set
a watch
against them day
and night
, because
of them.
And Judah said
, The strength
of the bearers of burdens
is decayed
, and there is much
rubbish
; so that we are not able
to build
the wall
.
And our adversaries said
, They shall not know
, neither see
, till we come
in the midst
among
them, and slay
them, and cause the work
to cease
.
And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt
by them
came
, they said
unto us ten
times
, From all places
whence ye shall return
unto us they will be upon you .
Therefore set I in the lower
places
behind
the wall
, and on the higher places
, I even set
the people
after their families
with their swords
, their spears
, and their bows
.
And I looked, and rose up
, and said
unto the nobles
, and to the rulers
, and to the rest
of the people
, Be not ye afraid
of them
: remember
the Lord
, which is great
and terrible
, and fight
for your brethren
, your sons
, and your daughters
, your wives
, and your houses
.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard
that it was known
unto us, and God
had brought
their counsel
to nought
, that we returned
all of us to the wall
, every one
unto his work
.
And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half
of my servants
wrought
in the work
, and the other half
of them held
both the spears
, the shields
, and the bows
, and the habergeons
; and the rulers
were behind
all the house
of Judah
.
They which builded on the wall
, and they that bare
burdens
, with those that laded
, every one with one
of his hands
wrought
in the work
, and with the other
hand held
a weapon
.
For the builders, every one
had his sword
girded
by his side
, and so builded
. And he that sounded
the trumpet
was by me
.
And I said unto the nobles
, and to the rulers
, and to the rest
of the people
, The work
is great
and large
, and we are separated
upon the wall
, one
far from
another
.
In what place therefore ye hear
the sound
of the trumpet
, resort
ye thither unto us: our God
shall fight
for us.
So we laboured in the work
: and half
of them held
the spears
from the rising
of the morning
till the stars
appeared
.
Likewise at the same time said
I unto the people
, Let every one
with his servant
lodge
within
Jerusalem
, that in the night
they may be a guard
to us, and labour
on the day
.
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants
, nor the men
of the guard
which followed
me, none of us
put off
our clothes
, saving that every one
put them off
for washing
.