Nehemiah

Nehemiah 4 ©

1 While the enemies are angry, and scoff, Nehemiah prayeth to God, and buildeth the wall. 7 Understanding their secret plottings, he setteth a watch. 13 He armeth the labourers, and giveth instructions how to proceed in case of an alarm.

1

BUT it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he awas *wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

2

And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these bfeeble Jews? will they 1fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they crevive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?

3

Now dTobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a efox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

4

Hear, O our God; ffor we are 2despised: and gturn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a *prey in the land of captivity:

5

And hcover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger ibefore the builders.

6

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for jthe people had a mind to work.

7

¶But it came to pass, kthat when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were 3made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then lthey were very *wroth,

8

And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and 4to hinder it.

9

Nevertheless we mmade our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10

And Judah said, nThe 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, oThey 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 pJews which dwelt by them came, they said qunto us ten times, 5From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

13

¶Therefore rset I 6in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their sswords, 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, tBe not ye afraid of them: uremember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and vfight 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 whad 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 xwrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the yspears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the zhouse of Judah.

z v.12.
17

They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one awith 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 7by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19

¶And bI 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: cour God shall fight for us.

21

So we dlaboured 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 eI, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, 8saving that every one put them off for washing.