Neh 4 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was evil to him, and he was angry very much, and he was laughing out loud over the Jews.

Nehemiah 4

CHAPTER 4 Sanballat Opposes Building the Wall

1 And it came to pass when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, that it was evil to him, and he was angry very much, and he was laughing out loud over the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren, and the force of the Samaritans, and he said, What do these Judahmen do -- the Jews? Shall we not abandon them? Is it to sacrifice? Is it that they will be able to? And today, will they repair the stones with the embankment rubbish for being burnt? 3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was next to him, and he said to them, And even if they shall build, shall not [²ascend ¹a fox] and demolish [²wall ³of stones ¹their]? 4 Hear, O our God! for we became for sneering. And return their scorning upon their head, and give them for sneering in a land of captivity! 5 And you should not cover over their lawlessness; and their sin -- [²from ³your face ¹may it not be wiped away]. For they provoked you to anger before the ones building. 6 And we built the wall, and [⁴was joined together ¹all ²the ³wall] unto the half of it. And [⁵became ¹the ²heart ³of the ⁴people] so as to construct. 7 And it came to pass as Sanballat heard, (and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, that [⁶ascended ¹the ²development ³of the ⁴walls ⁵of Jerusalem],) that they began [²the ³gaps ¹to block up], that [³wicked ⁴to them ¹it appeared ²exceedingly]. 8 And they gathered all together to come and to deploy against Jerusalem, and to do it for a delusion. 9 And we prayed to our God, and we set an advance guard against them day and night, in front of them. 10 And Judah said, [⁵is broken ¹The ²strength ³of the ⁴enemies], and the dust is vast, and we shall not be able to build on the wall. 11 And [⁴said ¹the ²ones afflicting ³us], They shall not know, and they shall not see until whenever we should come into the midst of them, and should murder them, and should cause [³to cease ¹the ²work].

The Jews Build while Defending Themselves

12 And it came to pass as [⁶came ¹the ²Jews ³living ⁴next to ⁵them], that they said to us, They ascend from out of all the places that you returned from us. 13 And I stood men in the lowermost place from behind the wall, in the protected places. And I stood the people according to peoples, with their broadswords, and their wooden spears, and their bows. 14 And I beheld, and I rose up, and I spoke to the important ones, and to the commandants, and to the rest of the people, saying, You should not fear from their face. You should remember [⁵God ¹our ²great ³and ⁴fearful], and deploy for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your residences! 15 And it came to pass when [²heard ¹our enemies] that it was made known to us, that [²effaced ¹God] their counsel, that [²returned ¹we all] to the wall, every man to his work. 16 And it came to pass from that day, that half of the ones being arrayed did the work, and half of them resisted with lances, and shields, and bows, and chest plates; and the rulers were behind the whole house of Judah. 17 The ones building on the wall, and the ones lifting things on their shoulders, [⁴armed ⁵in ⁶one ⁷hand ¹did ²his ³work], and with one hand held the arrow. 18 And the builders -- a man had his broadsword tied upon his loin, and they built. And the one trumpeting by the horn was next to me. 19 And I said to the important ones, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is spacious and vast, and we are dispersed upon the wall, [²far ¹with each man] from his brother. 20 In the place where ever you should hear the sound of the horn, gather together there to us, and our God shall wage war for us. 21 And we were doing the work, and the half of us were holding the lances from the ascending of the dawn until the coming out of the stars. 22 And in that time I said to the people, Each one with his young one shall lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, and let [²be ³to us ⁴in the ⁵night ¹an advance guard], and let the day be for work! 23 And I was there, and my brethren, and the young men, and the men of the advance guard were behind me; and there was not of us [²being stripped ¹a man] of his own garments; a man and his weapons into the water.