Nehemiah 4

1But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.

1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became very angry and flew into a rage, mocking the Jews.

2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?

2He spoke in front of his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, 'What are these weak Jews doing? Will they restore the wall themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a single day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from piles of trash?'

3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.

3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, added, 'Even if a little fox climbed up on what they are building, he would knock down their stone wall!'

4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;

4I prayed, 'Hear us, our God, for we are being treated with contempt. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Let them be captured and taken away as plunder to a foreign land.'

5and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.

5'Do not ignore their guilt or blot out their sins, because they have insulted the builders to their faces.'

6So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

6So we kept rebuilding the wall until the entire wall was joined together and reached half its intended height, because the people worked with all their hearts.

7But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;

7But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls were progressing and the gaps were being closed, they became extremely angry.

8and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

8They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem to cause trouble and confusion.

9But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

9But we prayed to our God and stationed a guard to face them day and night.

10And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

10Meanwhile, the people of Judah said, 'The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble that we cannot finish the wall.'

11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

11Our enemies were saying, 'They won't know what hit them. Before they see us, we will be right there among them to kill them and stop the work.'

12And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times from all places, Ye must return unto us.

12The Jews who lived near the enemies came and warned us ten times, 'From every direction they are coming to attack us.'

13Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

13So I stationed people in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall and in the open areas. I organized them by families, armed with their swords, spears, and bows.

14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

14After I looked things over, 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, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.'

15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

15When our enemies heard that we knew about their plan and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

16And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

16From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah.

17They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

17The builders and the laborers did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other.

18and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

18Each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. The man who sounded the trumpet stayed right beside me.

19And I 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:

19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 'The work is very spread out, and we are far apart from each other on the wall.'

20in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.

20'Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to join us there. Our God will fight for us!'

21So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came out at night.

22Likewise 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 may labor in the day.

22At that time, I also told the people, 'Every man and his helper must stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve as guards by night and workers by day.'

23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one went with his weapon to the water.

23So none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who followed me—took off our clothes. Each of us kept our weapon ready, even when we went to get water.