1 A nd 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,

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 a nd 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!'

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 A nd 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.'

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 H ear, 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;

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 a nd 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.

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 A nd we build the wall, and all the wall is joined -- unto its half, and the people have a heart 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 A nd 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,

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

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

9 A nd we pray unto our God, and appoint a watch against them, by day and by night, because of them.

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

10 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.

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 A nd 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.'

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 A nd 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;

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 y ea, 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.

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 he 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.

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 each with his sword, girded on his loins, and building, and he who is blowing with a trumpet beside me.

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

19 A nd 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;

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 i n the place that ye hear the voice of the trumpet thither ye are gathered unto us; our God doth 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 A nd 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.

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

22 A lso, 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:'

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 a nd 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.

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.