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.

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 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?”

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 beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on 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 reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of 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 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.

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 the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a 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 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,

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

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

9 N evertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we 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 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.”

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

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 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.”

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 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.

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 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.”

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 W herever 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 in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

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 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 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 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.

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.