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

And it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we built the wall, he was angry 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? 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?”

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? shall they be permitted to go on? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, when they are burned?

3 N ow 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.”

And Tobijah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox went up, it would break down their stone wall.—

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

Hear, our God, for we are despised, and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in a land of captivity!

5 D o 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.

And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked the builders.

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

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

7 N ow 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,

And it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being repaired, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

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

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

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

Then we prayed to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

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

And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall.

11 A nd 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.”

And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them and kill them, and put an end to the work.

12 S o 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.”

And it came to pass that when the Jews that dwelt by them came and told us so ten times, from all the places whence they returned to us,

13 T herefore 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.

I set in the lower places behind the wall in exposed places, I even set the people, according to their families, with their swords, their spears and their bows.

14 A nd 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.”

And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not 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.

15 A nd 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.

And it came to pass that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had defeated their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work.

16 S o 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.

And from that time forth the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the corslets; and the captains were behind all the house of Judah.

17 T hose 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.

They that built on the wall, and they that bore burdens, with those that loaded, wrought in the work with one hand, and with the other they held a weapon.

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

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

19 T hen 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.

And I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and extended, and we are scattered upon the wall, one far from another:

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

in what place ye hear the sound of the trumpet, thither shall ye assemble to us; our God will fight for us.

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

And we laboured in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the dawn till the stars appeared.

22 A t 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.”

Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour in the day.

23 S o 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.

And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our garments: every one had his weapon on his right side.