The Work Ridiculed

1And it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he became hot and he became greatly angry, and he mocked at the Jews. 2And he spoke before the face of his brothers and the force of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews 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 the rubble—and they are burned?”

3And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Even whatever they are building, if a fox goes up on it, it will break down the wall of their stones.”

4Hear, our God, for we are despised! And turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as spoil to a land of captivity. 5And do not cover over their iniquity; and their sin, do not let it be blotted out from before You, for they have provoked anger in front of the builders.†

6And we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together up to half of it, for the people had a mind to work.

7And it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair was progressing to the walls of Jerusalem and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very hot. 8And all of them conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.

Discouragement Overcome

9And we made our prayer to our God, and we set a watch against them, day and night, against their faces.

10And Judah said,†

“The power of the laborers is failing,

and the rubble is abundant,

and we are not able

to build on the wall.”

11And our adversaries said, “They will not know and they will not see until that we come into their midst and kill them and put an end to the work.”

12And it came to pass, when the Jews came who dwelt near them, that they said to us ten times, “From all the places where you⁺ return, they will be upon us.”

13And I appointed at the lowest of the places at the back of the wall, at the openings, I even appointed the people by their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14And I looked, and I arose and said to the nobles and to the leaders and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and fearsome, and fight for your⁺ brothers, your⁺ sons, and your⁺ daughters, your⁺ wives, and your⁺ houses.”

15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plot, that all of us returned to the wall, each man to his work. 16And it came to pass from that day, that half of my servants worked at the construction, and half held the spears, and the shields, and the bows, and the armor.

And the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17Those who built on the wall and the bearers of the burden loaded themselves, so that with one hand they worked at the construction, and one was grasping a weapon. 18And of the builders, each man had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded with the shofar was beside me.

19And I said to the nobles and to the prefects and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20In the place that you⁺ hear the voice of the shofar, there gather to us. Our God will fight for us.”

21And we labored in the work, and half kept hold of the spears from daybreak until the coming forth of the stars. 22Also at that time I said to the people, “Each man and his servant should lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, that they may be to us by the night a guard and by the day a working party.”

23And none—I and my brothers and my servants and the men of the guard who were behind me—none of us took off our garments; each man had his weapon at the water.†