[1] Now when Sanbal'lat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry
and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews. [2] And he said in the
presence of his brethren and of the army of Sama'ria, "What are these
feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they
finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of
rubbish, and burned ones at that?" [3] Tobi'ah the Ammonite was by him, and
he said, "Yes, what they are building-- if a fox goes up on it he will
break down their stone wall!" [4] Hear, O our God, for we are despised;
turn back their taunt upon their own heads, and give them up to be
plundered in a land where they are captives. [5] Do not cover their guilt,
and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight; for they have provoked
thee to anger before the builders. [6] So we built the wall; and all the
wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to
work. [7] But when Sanbal'lat and Tobi'ah and the Arabs and the Ammonites
and the Ash'dodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was
going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were
very angry; [8] and they all plotted together to come and fight against
Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. [9] And we prayed to our God, and
set a guard as a protection against them day and night. [10] But Judah
said, "The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is much
rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall." [11] And our enemies said,
"They will not know or see till we come into the midst of them and kill
them and stop the work." [12] When the Jews who lived by them came they
said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come
up against us." [13] So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall,
in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with
their swords, their spears, and their bows. [14] And I looked, and arose,
and said to the nobles and to the officials 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, your daughters, your wives, and
your homes." [15] When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that
God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his
work. [16] From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction,
and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders
stood behind all the house of Judah, [17] who were building on the wall.
Those who carried burdens were laden in such a way that each with one hand
labored on the work and with the other held his weapon. [18] And each of
the builders had his sword girded at his side while he built. The man who
sounded the trumpet was beside me. [19] And I said to the nobles and to the
officials and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely
spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. [20] In the
place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God
will fight for us." [21] So we labored at the work, and half of them held
the spears from the break of dawn till the stars came out. [22] I also said
to the people at that time, "Let every man and his servant pass the night
within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by
day." [23] So neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the
guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his
weapon in his hand.
