Nehemiah
Chapter 4
1 But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became very angry, was greatly upset, and made fun of the Jews.
2 He spoke to his brothers and Samaria’s army, asking, “What can these weak Jews do? Can they rebuild their defenses? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in one day? Can they bring the burned stones back to life from the rubble piles?”
3 Tobiah, from Ammon, stood next to him and said, “What they are building is so weak that if a fox climbs it, the wall will fall down.”
4 Listen, our God, we are looked down on: make their insults fall on them, and let them be captured in the land they were taken to.
5 Do not overlook their wrongdoing, and do not erase their sin from your presence; for they have made you angry in front of the builders.
6 We built the wall, and the whole wall was connected up to halfway because the people wanted to work.
7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites found out that the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt and the gaps were getting fixed, they became very angry.
8 They all plotted together to come fight against Jerusalem and to block its progress.
9 We prayed to God and kept guard day and night to protect ourselves from them.
10 Judah said, “The workers are getting weak, and there is a lot of trash; we can’t build the wall.”
11 Our enemies said, “They won’t realize or see until we attack them, kill them, and stop their work.”
12 When the nearby Jews came to us, they repeatedly warned us, “No matter where you come from, they will attack you.”
13 So I placed people in the lower parts of the wall and on the higher areas according to their families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
14 I looked, got up, and told the leaders and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them: remember God, who is great and mighty, and fight for your brothers, your children, your wives, and your homes.”
15 When our enemies found out that we knew their plan, and that God had stopped their plan from succeeding, we all went back to work on the wall.
16 From then on, half of my servants worked, while the other half carried spears, shields, bows, and body armor; and the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.
17 The people who built the wall and those who carried loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 Each builder worked with a sword tied to their side, and I had the trumpet blower by my side.
19 I told the leaders, officials, and the others, “The task is huge and spread out, and we are far apart on the wall.”
20 When you hear the trumpet, come to us; our God will fight for us.
21 We worked hard, and half of us kept holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.
22 I also told the people at that time, “Everyone should stay in Jerusalem with their servants, so they can protect us at night and work during the day.”
23 Neither I, nor my brothers, nor my workers, nor the guards with me took off our clothes, except to wash them.