1 B ut when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

When 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.

2 H e 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?”

He 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?”

3 N ow 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.”

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

4 “ 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;

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

5 d on’t cover their iniquity, and don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”

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

6 S o we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

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

7 B ut 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;

When 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.

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

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

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

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

10 J udah 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.”

So 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.”

11 O ur adversaries said, “They shall not know, neither see, until we come in among them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

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

12 W hen the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

When 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.”

13 T herefore 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.

So 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.

14 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.”

When 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.”

15 W hen 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.

When 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.

16 F rom 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.

From 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.

17 T hey 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;

Those 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.

18 a nd the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

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

19 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

22 L ikewise 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.”

At 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.”

23 S o 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.

So 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.