1 W hen Sanballat heard that we were building the wall again, he became very angry. He was filled with anger and he made fun of the Jews.

¶ 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.

2 H e said to his brothers and the rich men of Samaria, “What are these weak Jews doing? Are they going to build things again for themselves? Will they give gifts on the altar in worship? Will they finish in a day? Will they get good stones for building from the dust, seeing they are burned?”

And 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?

3 T obiah the Ammonite was near him and said, “If a fox would jump on what they build, he would break their stone wall down!”

Now 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.

4 H ear, O our God, how we are hated! Return their shame on their own heads. Let them be taken as servants to a strange land.

Hear, 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.

5 D o not forgive their sin. Do not let their sin be covered from Your eyes. For they have made much fun of the builders.

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

6 B ut we built the wall, and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

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

7 W hen Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the work of building the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the broken places began to be closed, they were very angry.

¶ 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

8 A nd all of them made plans together to come and fight against Jerusalem and cause trouble in it.

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

9 B ut we prayed to our God because of them. And we had men watching for them day and night.

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

10 S o in Judah it was said, “Those who carry the loads are becoming weaker, and there is much dust. We are not able to work on the wall.”

And 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.

11 T hose who hated us said, “They will not know it or see us until we are among them, kill them, and stop the work.”

And 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.

12 W hen the Jews who lived by them came, they told us ten times, “They will come up against us from all the places where they live.”

But 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.

13 S o I put men in the lowest parts of the places behind the wall, in the open places. I put the people in place by their families with their swords, spears and bows.

Therefore, 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.

14 W hen I saw their fear, I got up and said to the rulers and leaders and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord Who is great and honored with fear. And fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

Then 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.

15 W hen those who hated us heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought trouble to their plan, then all of us returned to the wall. Each one returned to his work.

And 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.

16 F rom that day on, half of my servants did the work while half of them held the spears, battle-coverings, bows, and battle-clothes. And the captains stood behind the whole house of Judah.

¶ 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.

17 T hose who were building the wall and those who carried loads did their work with one hand, and held something to fight with in the other hand.

Those 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.

18 E ach builder wore his sword at his side as he built. The man who blew the horn stood beside me.

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

19 I said to the rulers, leaders, and the rest of the people, “There is very much work to do, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.

And 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.

20 I n whatever place you hear the sound of the horn, gather together to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

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

21 S o we did the work with half of them holding spears from sunrise until the stars came out.

So we laboured 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 I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so they may watch for us during the night and work during the day.”

Likewise 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.

23 S o none of us, I, my brothers, my servants, or the soldiers who followed me, took off our clothes. Each man kept something to fight with in his hand, even when he went to wash.

So 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.