Nehemiah Sent to Jerusalem

2 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,^(A) when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, ² so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad,^(B) when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”^(C)

I was overwhelmed with fear ³ and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I^[a] not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” ^(D)

⁴ Then the king asked me, “What is your request?”

So I prayed to the God of the heavens^{(E) 5} and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried,^[b](F) so that I may rebuild it.”^(G)

⁶ The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time,^(H) and it pleased the king to send me.

Progress in Spite of Opposition

4 When Sanballat^(A) heard that we were rebuilding the wall,^(B) he became furious. He mocked the Jews^{(C) 2} before his colleagues and the powerful men^[a] of Samaria^(D) and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones^(E) back to life from the mounds of rubble?” ^{(F) 3} Then Tobiah the Ammonite,^(G) who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox^(H) climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

⁴ Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered^[b] the builders.^(I)

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.^(J)

⁷ When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs,^(K) Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed,^(L) they became furious.^{(M) 8} They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. ⁹ So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night.

¹⁰ In Judah, it was said:^[c]

¹¹ And our enemies said, “They won’t realize it^[d] until we’re among them and can kill them and stop the work.” ¹² When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again,^[e] “Everywhere you turn, they attack^[f] us.” ¹³ So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. ¹⁴ After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,^(N) “Don’t be afraid of them.^(O) Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.”^(P)

Sword and Trowel

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. ¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor.^(Q) The officers supported all the people of Judah, ¹⁷ who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. ¹⁸ Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the one who sounded the ram’s horn was beside me. ¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people,^(R) “The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.^{(S) 20} Wherever you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” ^{(T) 21} So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. ²² At that time, I also said to the people, “Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” ²³ And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.^[g]

²⁰ Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous,^(A) and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you^(B) until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished.

Psalm 27

My Stronghold

Of David.

Fear God

²⁶ “Therefore,^(A) don’t be afraid of them, since there is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered and nothing hidden that won’t be made known.^{(B) 27} What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper,^[a] proclaim on the housetops.^{(C) 28} Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; ^(D) rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.^{(E) 29} Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny?^[b] Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s^(F) consent.^{[c] 30} But even the hairs of your head have all been counted.^(G)