1. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we
builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation,
and mocked the Jews.
2. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria,
and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify
themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a
day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the
rubbish which are burned?
3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that
which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down
their stone wall.
4. 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 captivity:
5. And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be
blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to
anger before the builders.
6. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together
unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and
the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard
that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the
breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8. And conspired all of them together to come and to fight
against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9. Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a
watch against them day and night, because of them.
10. 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. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see,
till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and
cause the work to cease.
12. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them
came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye
shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on
the higher places, I even set the people after their
families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to
the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid
of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and
fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your
wives, and your houses.
15. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was
known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought,
that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his
work.
16. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of
my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them
held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the
habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of
Judah.
17. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,
with those that laded, every one with one of his hands
wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his
side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by
me.
19. And I said unto the nobles, 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. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears
from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every
one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the
night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men
of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our
clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
