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saying 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?b Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap — and charred ones at that?”
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building — if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”
Then 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!
Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives.
Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.
So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.
And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.
And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Then 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.”
Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.”
And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”
So 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.
So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
Then 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!”
And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.
The Work Resumes
When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work.
But 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 Judah
From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah,
who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.
who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.
All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.
And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
Then 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.
And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”
In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard.
So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
I 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.
I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.”