1 ¶ But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Jews.

But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

2 A nd he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Is this to be permitted them? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish on time? Will they resurrect the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which were burned?

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish— stones that are burned?”

3 N ow Tobiah, the Ammonite, was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox were to go up it, he would break down their stone wall.

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

4 H ear, 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 their captivity.

Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity!

5 A nd do not cover their iniquity, nor let their sin be blotted out from before thee, for they have become angry against the builders.

Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.

6 B ut we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof, for the people were motivated to work.

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

7 ¶ And it came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were sound and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth

Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,

8 a nd conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it.

and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

9 N evertheless, we made our prayer unto our God and set a watch over the builders day and night because of them.

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

10 A nd 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.

Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

11 A nd our adversaries said, They shall not know or see until we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease.

And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

12 B ut it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt among them came, they advised us ten times of all the places from which they would come upon us.

So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

13 T herefore, I set in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I set the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 T hen I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, Do not be afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

15 A nd it came to pass when our enemies heard that we had understood it, God brought their counsel to nought, and we returned all of us to the wall, each one unto his work.

And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 ¶ And it came to pass from that time forth that half of the young men wrought in the work, and the other half of them held spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the princes were behind all the house of Judah.

So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.

17 T hose that built on the wall and those that bore burdens and those that laded wrought with one hand in the work and with the other held a weapon.

Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.

18 F or the builders, each one had his sword girded by his side, and so they built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me.

Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

19 A nd I said unto the principals 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.

Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.

20 I n whatever place that you hear the voice of the shofar, join us there; our God shall fight for us.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

21 S o we laboured in the work, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

22 L ikewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let each one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that by night they may be a guard to us, and labour by day.

At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.”

23 S o neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, each one put them off only for washing.

So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.