1 B ut when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and in a great rage, and he ridiculed the Jews.

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.

2 A nd he said before his brethren and the army of Samaria, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things ? Will they with sacrifices? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?

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?

3 N ow Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, What they build—if a fox climbs upon it, he will break down their stone wall.

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.

4 H ear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.

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:

5 C over not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have vexed the builders and provoked You.

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.

6 S o we built the wall, and all was joined together to half its height, for the people had a heart and mind to work.

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

7 B ut when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were going up and that the breaches were being closed, they were very angry.

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,

8 A nd they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it.

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

9 B ut because of them we made our prayer to our God and set a watch against them day and night.

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

10 A nd Judah said, The strength of the burden bearers is weakening, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.

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.

11 A nd our enemies said, They will not know or see till we come into their midst and kill them and stop the work.

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.

12 A nd when the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, You must return; from all places where they dwell they will be upon us.

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.

13 S o I set behind the wall in places where it was least protected; I even thus used the people as families with their swords, spears, and bows.

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.

14 I looked and rose up and said to the nobles and officials and the other people, Do not be afraid of the enemy; remember the Lord and imprint Him, great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.

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.

15 A nd when our enemies heard that their plot was known to us and that God had frustrated their purpose, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

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.

16 A nd from that time forth, half of my servants worked at the task, and the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders stood behind all the house of Judah.

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.

17 T hose who built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand,

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.

18 A nd every builder had his sword girded by his side, and so worked. And he who sounded the trumpet was at my side.

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

19 A nd I said to the nobles and officials and the rest of the people, The work is great and scattered, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

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.

20 I n whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.

In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

21 S o we labored at the work while half of them held the spears from dawn until the stars came out.

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

22 A t that time also I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that at night they may be a guard to us and a laborer during the day.

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.

23 S o none of us—I, my kinsmen, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me—took off our clothes; each kept his weapon.

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.