The Work Ridiculed 1 ULT And it happened that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it burned him, and he was very angry. And he mocked at the Jews. BSB BSB: Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
2 ULT And he spoke before the face of his brothers and the army of Samaria, and he said,“What are the feeble Jews doing? Will they restore for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from piles of dust, when they have been burned?” BSB BSB: before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
3 ULT And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him. And he said,“Yes, if a fox goes up on what they are building, then he would break down their wall of stones!” BSB BSB: Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
4 ULT Hear, our God, that we are a contempt, and cause their taunts to return on their heads! And give them for plunder in a land of captivity. BSB BSB: Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
5 ULT And do not cover over their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from before your face, for they have provoked anger before the front of the builders. BSB BSB: Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
6 ULT So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together up to half of it. And the heart of the people was for working. BSB BSB: So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 ULT And it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the health of the walls of Jerusalem was going up and the breaks were beginning to be closed, it burned them extremely. BSB BSB: When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
8 ULT And all of them together conspired to come to fight against Jerusalem and to make confusion for it. BSB BSB: and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
Discouragement Overcome 9 ULT And we prayed to our God. And we set up a guard on account of them, by day and by night against their faces. BSB BSB: So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
10 ULT And Judah said,“The strength of the burden- bearers is failing, and there is much rubble. And as for us, we are not able to build the wall.” BSB BSB: Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
11 ULT And our adversaries said,“They will not know, and they will not see until when we come into their midst and kill them. And we will cause the work to stop.” BSB BSB: And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
12 ULT And it happened that, when the Jews dwelling beside them came, they said to us ten times,“From all the places where you turn, they are on us!” BSB BSB: At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 ULT And I stationed from the lowest of places behind the wall, in the bare places; and I stationed the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. BSB BSB: So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 ULT And I looked, and I rose up, and I said to the nobles, and to the prefects, and to the rest of the people,“Do not be afraid of their faces. Remember my great and fearsome Lord! And fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.” BSB BSB: After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and 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 and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15 ULT And it happened that, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had frustrated their counsels, all of us returned to the wall, a man to his work. BSB BSB: When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.
16 ULT And it happened that, from that day, half of my young men were doing the work, and half of them were grasping, even the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the breastplates. And the officials were behind all the house of Judah. BSB BSB: And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah
17 ULT Those who were building the wall, and those who were carrying burdens, the loaders, they were doing the work with one of his hands and one grasping weaponry. BSB BSB: who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
18 ULT And the builders: a man girded his sword to his loins and built. And the one who blew the ram’ s horn was beside me. BSB BSB: And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
19 ULT And I said to the nobles and to the prefects and to the rest of the people,“The work is great and vast, and we are separated on the wall, a man far from his brother. BSB BSB: Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.
20 ULT At the place where you hear the sound of the ram’ s horn, you shall gather to us there. Our God will fight for us.” BSB BSB: Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 ULT So we were doing the work. And half of them were grasping spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars. BSB BSB: So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22 ULT Also, at that time I said to the people,“Let a man and his young man lodge the night in the midst of Jerusalem, and they will be for us by night a guard and by day a worker.” BSB BSB: At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”
23 ULT And neither I nor my brothers nor my young men nor the men of the guard who were behind me, none of us stripped off our clothes, or a man his weapon at the water. BSB BSB: So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.