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.
02 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?
03 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.
04 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:
05 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.
06 So built we the wall; and all the wall was
joined together unto the half thereof: for the
people had a mind to work.
07 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,
08 And conspired all of them together to come and
to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
09 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.
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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.
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