Naham'Yahu (Nehemiah) — 4

The Wall Defended Against Enemies

1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Yahudym. 

2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Yahudym doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish stones that are burned?”

3 Now Tubiah the Ammunite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”

4 Then I prayed, Hear us, O our  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, for we are mocked; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 

5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.

6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tubiah, the Arabs, the Ammunites, and the Ashdudites heard that the walls of Yahushalam were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 

8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Yahushalam and create confusion. 

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

10 Then Yahudah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

11 And our adversaries said, “they will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

12 So it was, when the Yahudym who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 

14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH who is great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 

16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Yahudah. 

17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 

18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 

20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH will fight for us.”

21 So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 

22 At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Yahushalam, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” 

23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.