Open English Translation NEH Chapter 4

4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he got really angry. He mocked the Jews 2 and he spoke before in front of his brothers and the army of Shomron (Samaria), “What are those feeble Jews doing? Do they think they’ll be able to rebuild that place themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they get finished one day? Will they form the stones back together from piles of dust, when they’ve been weakened by the heat of the fires?”

3 Toviyyah the Ammonite was standing beside him and confirmed, “Yes, even if a fox walked over that stone wall that they’re building, it would make it fall down.”

4 I prayed, “Our god, listen to how we’re mocked and cause their words to return on their own heads and send them away as captives to become the plunder for another country. 5 Don’t just cover over their evil, and don’t just ignore their sin, because they’ve repeatedly made the workers get angry.”

6 So we kept on at building the wall, and eventually all the segments of wall were joined up together up to about half its full height, and so the people were encouraged to keep persevering.

7 Now when Sanballat, and Toviyyah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the Yerushalem walls were getting repaired and the breaks were beginning to be closed up, it made them extremely angry 8 and they all got together to come to attack Yerushalem and to throw us into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our god, as well as setting up a 24-hour guard to watch out for them.

10 People around Yehudah said, “The workers are running out of strength and there’s a lot of rubble still to be moved. Maybe we’re not up to building this wall.”

11 Then those against us said, “We’ll rush in among them and kill some of them before they even see us or know that we’re coming, then that will bring the work to an end.” 12 After that, whenever the Jews living close to them came, they repeatedly warned us, “They’re going to attack us from all directions.” 13 So I stationed guards behind the lowest places along the wall and where there were still gaps. I also made sure that the families stood guard with their swords, spears, and bows.

14 I looked then I got organised and told the nobles and the prefects, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of their threats. Remember my powerful and fearsome master, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” 15 After all that, when our enemies realised that we were aware of their intentions and that God had frustrated their surprise attack plan, we all returned to our work on the wall.

16 So from that day onwards, half of my young men would work on the rebuilding, while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, and breastplates, and the officials encouraged them all from behind. 17 Both those who were placing the stones on the wall and those who were carrying the heavy loads to them, always had their weapons with them in case of an attack. 18 The builders had their swords strapped to their sides as they worked, and the man who would sound the trumpet stayed with me. 19 Then I told the nobles and prefects, and the rest of the people, “This job is so large and extensive that we’re all separated from each other when we work on the wall, 20 so whenever you all hear the trumpet blast, join us at that place. Our god will fight for us.” 21 So we continued the work with half of them keeping their hands on their spears from the beginning of the day until the stars came out at night.

22 Also at that time, I told the people, “Every worker including servants should spend the night inside the city, so they double as workers during the day and guards at night.” 23 During that period of construction, none of us, not even our servants, stayed undressed or separated from our weapons, even when washing.