Nehemiah 4
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1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,1וַיְהִ֞י כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֗ט כִּֽי־ אֲנַ֤חְנוּ בוֹנִים֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וַיִּ֣חַר ל֔וֹ וַיִּכְעַ֖ס הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַיַּלְעֵ֖ג עַל־ הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃
2saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”2וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י אֶחָ֗יו וְחֵיל֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֛ה הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙ הַיְכַלּ֣וּ בַיּ֔וֹם הַיְחַיּ֧וּ אֶת־ הָאֲבָנִ֛ים מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת הֶעָפָ֖ר וְהֵ֥מָּה שְׂרוּפֽוֹת׃
3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”3וְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה הָעַמֹּנִ֖י אֶצְל֑וֹ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֚ם אֲשֶׁר־ הֵ֣ם בּוֹנִ֔ים אִם־ יַעֲלֶ֣ה שׁוּעָ֔ל וּפָרַ֖ץ חוֹמַ֥ת אַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ פ
4Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!4שְׁמַ֤ע אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּֽי־ הָיִ֣ינוּ בוּזָ֔ה וְהָשֵׁ֥ב חֶרְפָּתָ֖ם אֶל־ רֹאשָׁ֑ם וּתְנֵ֥ם לְבִזָּ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁבְיָֽה׃
5Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”5וְאַל־ תְּכַס֙ עַל־ עֲוֺנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־ תִּמָּחֶ֑ה כִּ֥י הִכְעִ֖יסוּ לְנֶ֥גֶד הַבּוֹנִֽים׃
6At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.6וַנִּבְנֶה֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וַתִּקָּשֵׁ֥ר כָּל־ הַחוֹמָ֖ה עַד־ חֶצְיָ֑הּ וַיְהִ֧י לֵ֦ב לָעָ֖ם לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ פ
7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.7וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֡ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וְהָעַרְבִ֨ים וְהָעַמֹּנִ֜ים וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֗ים כִּֽי־ עָלְתָ֤ה אֲרוּכָה֙ לְחֹמ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כִּי־ הֵחֵ֥לּוּ הַפְּרֻצִ֖ים לְהִסָּתֵ֑ם וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃
8They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.8וַיִּקְשְׁר֤וּ כֻלָּם֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו לָב֖וֹא לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ תּוֹעָֽה׃
9But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.9וַנִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּעֲמִ֨יד מִשְׁמָ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
10Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”10וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה כָּשַׁל֙ כֹּ֣חַ הַסַּבָּ֔ל וְהֶעָפָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ לֹ֣א נוּכַ֔ל לִבְנ֖וֹת בַּחוֹמָֽה׃
11Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”11וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ צָרֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א יֵדְעוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִרְא֔וּ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־ נָב֥וֹא אֶל־ תּוֹכָ֖ם וַהֲרַגְנ֑וּם וְהִשְׁבַּ֖תְנוּ אֶת־ הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃
12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”12וַֽיְהִי֙ כַּאֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֣אוּ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לָ֙נוּ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּעָמִ֔ים מִכָּל־ הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ תָּשׁ֥וּבוּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃
13So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.13וָֽאַעֲמִ֞יד מִֽתַּחְתִּיּ֧וֹת לַמָּק֛וֹם מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י לַחוֹמָ֖ה [בצחחיים] (בַּצְּחִיחִ֑ים) וָֽאַעֲמִ֤יד אֶת־ הָעָם֙ לְמִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת עִם־ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֛ם רָמְחֵיהֶ֖ם וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
14Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”14וָאֵ֣רֶא וָאָק֗וּם וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־ הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם אַל־ תִּֽירְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־ אֲדֹנָ֞י הַגָּד֤וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ זְכֹ֔רוּ וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּ עַל־ אֲחֵיכֶם֙ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃ פ
15When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.15וַיְהִ֞י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ שָׁמְע֤וּ אוֹיְבֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּי־ נ֣וֹדַֽע לָ֔נוּ וַיָּ֥פֶר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־ עֲצָתָ֑ם [ונשוב] (וַנָּ֤שָׁב) כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־ מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃
16But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah16וַיְהִ֣י ׀ מִן־ הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא חֲצִ֣י נְעָרַי֮ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָה֒ וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ וְהָרְמָחִ֣ים הַמָּגִנִּ֔ים וְהַקְּשָׁת֖וֹת וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים וְהַ֨שָּׂרִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־ בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃
17who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.17הַבּוֹנִ֧ים בַּחוֹמָ֛ה וְהַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים בַּסֶּ֖בֶל עֹמְשִׂ֑ים בְּאַחַ֤ת יָדוֹ֙ עֹשֶׂ֣ה בַמְּלָאכָ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ת מַחֲזֶ֥קֶת הַשָּֽׁלַח׃
18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.18וְהַ֨בּוֹנִ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ חַרְבּ֛וֹ אֲסוּרִ֥ים עַל־ מָתְנָ֖יו וּבוֹנִ֑ים וְהַתּוֹקֵ֥עַ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר אֶצְלִֽי׃
19Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.19וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־ הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה וּרְחָבָ֑ה וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ נִפְרָדִים֙ עַל־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה רְחוֹקִ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ מֵאָחִֽיו׃
20When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”20בִּמְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־ ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקָּבְצ֣וּ אֵלֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יִלָּ֥חֶם לָֽנוּ׃
21We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.21וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים מֵעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר עַ֖ד צֵ֥את הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃
22I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and work during the day.22גַּ֣ם בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָעָ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ וְנַעֲר֔וֹ יָלִ֖ינוּ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהָֽיוּ־ לָ֧נוּ הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִשְׁמָ֖ר וְהַיּ֥וֹם מְלָאכָֽה׃
23During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water.23וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־ אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃ ס
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.
Nehemiah 3
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