1
But it happened that when Sanvallat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Yehudim.
2
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Shomron, and said, "What are these feeble Yehudim doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?"
3
Now Toviyah the Ammoniy was by him, and he said, "What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall."
4
"Hear, our Elohim; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a spoil in 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 insulted the builders."
6
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.
7
But it happened that when Sanvallat, Toviyah, the Arabians, the Ammonim, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Yerushalayim went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, then they were very angry;
8
and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Yerushalayim, and to cause confusion therein.
9
But we made our prayer to our Elohim, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10
Yehudah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall."
11
Our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come into their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease."
12
It happened that when the Yehudim who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
13
Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14
I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them! Remember Yahuah, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
15
It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and Elohim had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.
16
It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked 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 Yehudah.
17
They all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
18
and the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
19
I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.
20
Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our Elohim will fight for us."
21
So we worked in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
22
Likewise at the same time said I to the people, "Let everyone with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day."
23
So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.