1 Mas tendo Sambalá ouvido que nós edificávamos o muro, ardeu em ira, encolerizou-se em extremo e escarneceu dos judeus.2 Disse diante de seus irmãos e do exército de Samaria: Que fazem estes fracos judeus? Fortificar-se-ão? Oferecerão sacrifícios? Acabarão a sua obra num dia? Vivificarão as pedras de montões de ruínas, e queimadas a fogo?3 Ora Tobias, amonita, estava do lado dele, e disse: Deixai-os edificar! Se uma raposa for saltar o seu muro de pedras, derrubá-lo-á.4 Ouve, Deus nosso; pois somos desprezados. Faze recair o seu opróbrio sobre as suas cabeças, e entrega-os à depredação numa terra de cativeiro.5 Não cubras as suas iniqüidades, e não se apague o seu pecado de diante de ti, pois te provocaram à ira na presença dos que edificavam.6 Edificamos o muro; e todo o muro foi acabado até a metade da sua altura. Pois o povo tinha desejo de trabalhar.7 Mas quando Sambalá, Tobias, os árabes, os amonitas e os asdoditas, ouviram que a reparação dos muros de Jerusalém ia adiante e que as brechas começavam a ser fechadas, ficaram sobremodo irados.8 Ajuntaram-se todos de comum acordo para virem e pelejarem contra Jerusalém, e fazerem que houvesse confusão ali.9 Porém oramos ao nosso Deus e, pelo receio que nos inspiravam, pusemos guardas contra eles de dia e de noite.10 Então disse Judá: Já desfaleceram as forças dos carregadores, e há muito escombro a remover; de maneira que não podemos edificar o muro.11 Disseram os nossos adversários: Não saberão, nem verão, até que entremos no meio deles, e os matemos, e façamos cessar a obra.12 Vindo os judeus de todos os lugares onde habitavam entre eles, disseram-nos dez vezes: Deveis voltar para nós.13 Portanto, nos lugares mais baixos do espaço por detrás do muro, nos lugares abertos, pus o povo segundo as suas famílias com as suas espadas, com as suas lanças e com os seus arcos.14 Olhei, levantei-me, e disse aos nobres e magistrados, e ao resto do povo: Não tenhais medo deles; lembrai-vos dos Senhor, que é grande e terrível, e pelejai pelos vossos irmãos, vossos filhos, vossas filhas, vossas mulheres e vossas casas.15 Ouvindo os nossos inimigos que nós tínhamos sido avisados, e tendo Deus reduzido a nada o conselho deles, voltamos todos nós para o muro, cada um para sua obra.16 Desde aquele dia em diante metade dos meus servos trabalhava na obra, e metade deles tinha as lanças, os escudos, os arcos e as couraças; e os chefes estavam atrás de toda a casa de Judá.17 Os que edificavam o muro e os carregadores que sobre si mesmos punham as cargas, cada um com uma das mãos trabalhava na obra, e com a outra segurava a sua arma;18 e os que edificavam, cada um tinha a sua espada à cinta, e assim edificaram. Aquele que tocava a trombeta, estava ao meu lado.19 Disse eu aos nobres, aos magistrados e ao resto do povo: A obra é grande e extensa, e nós estamos no muro muito separados uns dos outros;20 em qualquer lugar em que ouvirdes o som da trombeta, correi ali a nós. O nosso Deus pelejará por nós.21 Assim trabalhávamos na obra; e metade deles tinha as lanças empunhadas desde o raiar do dia até que saíam as estrelas.22 Também ao mesmo tempo disse eu ao povo: Pouse cada um juntamente com os seus servos em Jerusalém, para que à noite nos sirvam de guardas, e para que de dia trabalhem.23 Assim nem eu, nem meus irmãos, nem os meus servos, nem os da guarda que me acompanhavam, largávamos os nossos vestidos, cada um ia com a sua arma para a água.

1 Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of the Jews.2 And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said: »What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they make themselves strong? Will they make offerings? Will they get the work done in a day? Will they make the stones that have been burned come again out of the dust?«3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said: Such is their building that if a fox climbs to the top of it, their stonewall will be broken down.4 Give ear, O our God, for we are ridiculed. Let their words of shame be turned back upon them, and let them be given up to plunder in a land where they are prisoners.5 Do not let their wrongdoing be covered or their sin be washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.6 So we went on building the wall. The entire wall was joined together halfway up. The people were working hard.7 When the Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, heard that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were very angry.8 All of them conspired to come and launch an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.9 We prayed to God and stationed men on watch against them day and night.10 Judah said: »The strength of the workmen is giving way. There is a lot of rubbish so it is impossible for us to put up the wall.«11 And our adversaries kept saying: »They will not know and they will not see until we come right in among them and put them to death. We will cause the work to cease.«12 When the Jews who were living near them came, they said to us ten times: »From all directions they are coming against us.«13 So in the lowest part of the space at the back of the walls, in the open places, I put the people by families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.14 And after looking, I got up and said to the great ones and to the chiefs and to the rest of the people, »Have no fear of them. Keep in mind Jehovah who is great and greatly to be feared. Take up arms for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your houses.«15 When our enemies heard that we had knowledge of their designs and that God had made their purpose come to nothing, we all went back to the wall, everyone to his work.16 From that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal wardresses. The leaders were in back of the men of Judah.17 Those who were building the wall and those who were moving material did their part. Everyone worked with one hand and with his spear in the other.18 Every builder was working with his sword at his side. By my side was a man for sounding the warning horn.19 I said to the leaders and the rest of the people: »The work is extensive and widely spaced and we are far away from one another on the wall.20 »Wherever you may be when the horn is sounded, come here to us. Our God will fight for us.«21 So we went on with the work. Half of them had spears in their hands from the dawn of the morning till the stars were seen.22 At the same time I said to the people: »Let everyone with his servant come inside Jerusalem for the night. At night they may keep watch for us, and go on working by day.«23 Not one of us, I or my brothers or my servants or the watchmen who were with me, changed clothes. Everyone went armed to the water.