Nehemiah 4
4
Opposition mounts
1 # 4.1 3:33 in Heb When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became angry and raged. He mocked the Jews, 2saying in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria: “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the piles of rubble, even though they are burned?”
3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, added: “If even a fox climbs on whatever they build, their wall of stones will crumble.”
4Listen, God; we are despised! Turn their insults to us#4.4 Heb lacks to us. back on their heads and make them like plunder in a captive land. 5Don’t forgive their iniquity or blot out their sins from your sight. They have thrown insults at the builders!
6We continued to build the wall. All of it was joined together, and it reached half of its intended height because the people were eager to work. 7#4.7 4:1 in Heb But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the work on the walls was progressing and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8They plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it.
9So we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night.
10But in Judah it was said,
“The carrier’s strength is failing,
for there is too much rubble.
We are unable to rebuild the wall!”
11Meanwhile, our enemies were saying: “Before they know or see anything, we can be in their midst and start to kill them. We’ll stop the work!”
12Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again,#4.12 Or ten times from all sides “You must return to us!”#4.12 Heb uncertain
Armed guards protect the builders
13So I took up a position in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall in an open area.#4.13 Heb uncertain Then I stationed the people by families, and they had their swords, spears, and bows. 14After reviewing this, I stood up and said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember that the LORD is great and awesome! Fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!”
15Then our enemies heard that we had found out and that God had spoiled their plans. So we all returned to doing our own work on the wall. 16But from that day on, only half of my workers continued in the construction, while the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Meanwhile, the leaders positioned themselves#4.16 Heb lacks positioned themselves. behind the whole house of Judah, 17who were building the wall. The carriers did their work with a load in one hand and a weapon in the other. 18The builders built with swords fastened in their belts, and the trumpeter stayed by my side.
19Then I said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are far apart from each other along the wall. 20When you hear the trumpet sound, come and gather where we are. Our God will fight for us!” 21So we continued the work, with half of them holding spears from dawn until dusk.
22I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in Jerusalem so that we can guard during the night and work during the day.” 23Neither I nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor my bodyguards took off our clothes, even when they sent for water.#4.23 Heb uncertain
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Nehemiah 4: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Nehemiah 4
4
1But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned? 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall. 4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity: 5and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. 6So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth; 8and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein. 9But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10And 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. 11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12And it came to pass that, when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from all places, Ye must return unto us. 13Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, In the open places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses. 15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon; 18and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. 19And I said unto the nobles, 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: 20in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God shall fight for us. 21So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day. 23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one went with his weapon to the water.
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