Chapter 4

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard¹ that we builded⁶ the wall, he was wroth,⁴ and took great⁵³ indignation,⁴ and mocked⁵⁵ the Jews.

And he spake⁴ before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said,⁴ What do⁶ these feeble Jews? will they fortify⁴ themselves? will they sacrifice?⁴ will they make an end¹⁷ in a day? will they revive¹⁷ the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?⁷

Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] by him, and he said,⁴ Even that which they build,⁶ if a fox go up,⁴ he shall even break down¹ their stone wall.

Hear,³ O our God; for we are despised: and turn⁵⁴ their reproach upon their own head, and give³ them for a prey in the land of captivity:

And cover¹⁷ not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out¹¹ from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger⁵² before the builders.⁶

So built⁴ we the wall; and all the wall was joined together¹¹ unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.²

But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard¹ that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, ^{5927 1} [and] that the breaches⁷ began⁵² to be stopped,⁹ then they were very wroth,⁴

And conspired⁴ all of them together to come² [and] to fight⁹ against Jerusalem, and to hinder^{2 8442} it.

Nevertheless we made our prayer¹⁰¹ unto our God, and set⁵⁵ a watch against them day and night, because of them.

And Judah said,⁴ The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed,¹ and [there is] much⁵³ rubbish; so that we are not able⁴ to build² the wall.

And our adversaries said,⁴ They shall not know,⁴ neither see,⁴ till we come⁴ in the midst among them, and slay¹ them, and cause the work to cease.⁵²

And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt⁶ by them came,¹ they said⁴ unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return⁴ unto us [they will be upon you].

Therefore set⁵⁵ I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, ⁶⁷⁰⁸ I even set⁵⁵ the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked,⁴ and rose up,⁴ and said⁴ unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid⁴ of them: remember³ the Lord, [which is] great and terrible,¹² and fight¹⁰ for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And it came to pass, when our enemies⁶ heard¹ that it was known⁸ unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought,⁵⁵ that we returned⁴ all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

And it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the half of my servants wrought⁶ in the work, and the other half of them held⁵⁶ both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers [were] behind all the house of Judah.

They which builded⁶ on the wall, and they that bare⁶ burdens, with those that laded,⁶ [every one] with one of his hands wrought⁶ in the work, and with the other [hand] held⁵⁶ a weapon.

For the builders,⁶ every one had his sword girded⁷ by his side, and [so] builded.⁶ And he that sounded⁶ the trumpet [was] by me.

And I said⁴ unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work [is] great⁵³ and large, and we are separated¹² upon the wall, one far from another.

In what place [therefore] ye hear⁴ the sound of the trumpet, resort¹¹ ye thither unto us: our God shall fight¹¹ for us.

So we laboured⁶ in the work: and half of them held⁵⁶ the spears from the rising² of the morning till the stars appeared.²

Likewise at the same time said¹ I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge⁴ within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off⁶ our clothes, [saving that] every one put them off for washing.