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.

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry; 8 and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us. 9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.

10 Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall." 11 Our adversaries said, "They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease."

12 When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."

13 Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."

15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon. 18 Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. 19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us."

21 So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. 22 Likewise at the same time I said to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day." 23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

1 But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Jews.

2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Is this to be permitted them? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish on time? Will they resurrect the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which were burned?

3 Now Tobiah, the Ammonite, [was] by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox [were to] go up [it], he would 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 their captivity.

5 And do not cover their iniquity, nor let their sin be blotted out from before thee, for they have become angry against the builders.

6 But we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof, for the people were motivated to work.

7 And it came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were sound [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 over the [builders] 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 or see until we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease.

12 But it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt among them came, they advised us ten times of all the places from which they would come upon us.

13 Therefore, I set in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I set the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14 Then I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers 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, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

15 And it came to pass when our enemies heard that we had understood it, God brought their counsel to nought, [and] we returned all of us to the wall, each one unto his work.

16 And it came to pass from that time forth [that] half of the young men wrought in the work, and the other half of them held spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the princes [were] behind all the house of Judah.

17 Those that built on the wall and those that bore burdens and those that laded wrought with one hand in the work and with the other held a weapon.

18 For the builders, each one had his sword girded by his side, and so they built. And he that sounded the shofar [was] by me.

19 And I said unto the principals 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 whatever place that you hear the voice of the shofar, join us there; 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 until the stars appeared.

22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let each one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that by night they may be a guard to us, and labour by day.

23 So neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, each one put them off [only] for washing.: