Nehemiah

                                    Chapter 4

  1. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we
     builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation,
     and mocked the Jews.
  2. And 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 the
     rubbish which are burned?
  3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that
     which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even 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 captivity:
  5. And 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.
  6. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together
     unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
  7. But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and
     the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard
     that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, 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 against them 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, neither see,
     till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and
     cause the work to cease.
 12. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them
     came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye
     shall return unto us they will be upon you.
 13. Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on
     the higher places, I even set the people after their
     families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
 14. And 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.
 15. And 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.
 16. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of
     my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them
     held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the
     habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of
     Judah.
 17. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,
     with those that laded, every one with one of his hands
     wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
 18. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his
     side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by
     me.
 19. And 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.
 20. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
     resort ye thither unto us: 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 till the stars appeared.
 22. Likewise 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 labour on the day.
 23. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men
     of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our
     clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.