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 when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, 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?

He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they 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, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would 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, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a plunder in a 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.

don’t cover their iniquity, and don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted 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 we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: 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 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 A nd they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it.

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

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

But we made our prayer to 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.

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

Our adversaries said, “They shall not know, neither see, until we come in among them, and kill 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.

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 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 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 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.

I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t 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 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.

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to 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.

From that time forth, half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; 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 all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his 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.

and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who 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.

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

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will 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 worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until 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 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 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 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.