Neemias 4

Os inimigos pretendem retardar a edificação dos muros

1 Mas, tendo *Ne 2.10Sambalá 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 *Ed 4.9-10exército de Samaria: Que fazem estes fracos judeus? Fortificar-se-ão? Oferecerão sacrifícios? Acabarão a sua obra num dia? Vivificarão as pedras de *Ne 4.10montões de ruínas e queimadas a fogo? 3 Ora, Tobias, amonita, estava do lado dele e disse: Deixai-os edificar! Se uma *Lm 5.18raposa for saltar o seu muro de pedras, derrubá-lo-á. 4 *Sl 123.3-4Ouve, Deus nosso, pois somos desprezados. *Sl 79.12Faze recair o seu opróbrio sobre as suas cabeças e entrega-os à depredação numa terra de cativeiro. 5 *Sl 69.27-28;Jr 18.23Não cubras as suas iniquidades, 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.

1 But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 He 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?"

3 Now 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."

4 "Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted 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.