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 cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard that we are building the wall, that it is displeasing to him, and he is very angry and mocketh at 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 saith before his brethren and the force of Samaria, yea, he saith, `What the weak Jews doing? are they left to themselves? do they sacrifice? do they complete in a day? do they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish? -- and they burnt!'

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 Tobiah the Ammonite by him and saith, `Also, that which they are building -- if a fox doth go up, then it hath broken 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, O our God, for we have been despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil 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 do not cover over their iniquity, and their sin from before Thee let not be blotted out, for they have provoked to anger -- over-against those building.

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.

And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined -- unto its half, and the people have a heart 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 cometh to pass, when Sanballat hath heard, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that lengthening hath gone up to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breeches have begun to be stopped, then it is very displeasing to them,

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

and they conspire, all of them together, to come in to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.

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

And we pray unto our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by 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 saith, `The power of the burden-bearers hath become feeble, and the rubbish abundant, and we are not able to build on 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 say, `They do not know, nor see, till that we come in to their midst, and have slain them, and caused 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.”

And it cometh to pass, when the Jews have come who are dwelling near them, that they say to us ten times from all the places whither ye return -- against 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.

And I appoint at the lowest of the places, at the back of the wall, in the clear places, yea, I appoint the people, by 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 see, and rise up, and say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, `Be not afraid of them; the Lord, the great and the fearful, remember ye, 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 cometh to pass, when our enemies have heard that it hath been known to us, and God doth frustrate their counsel, and we turn back, all of us, unto the wall, each unto 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.

yea, it cometh to pass, from that day, half of my servants are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the heads 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.

The builders on the wall, and the bearers of the burden, those lading, with one of his hands is working in the business, and one is laying hold of the missile.

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 each with his sword, girded on his loins, and building, and he who is blowing with a trumpet beside 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 say unto the freemen, and unto the prefects, and unto the rest of the people, `The work is abundant, and large, and we are separated on the wall, far off one from another;

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

in the place that ye hear the voice of the trumpet thither ye are gathered unto us; our God doth 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 are working in the business, and half of them are keeping hold of the spears, from the going up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.

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.”

Also, at that time I said to the people, `Let each with his servant lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, and they have been to us by night a guard, and by day the work:'

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 there are none -- I and my brethren and my servants, the men of the guard who after me -- there are none of us putting off our garments, each his vessel of water.