Neemia 4
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
4 Ma quando Sanballàt, Tobia, gli Arabi, gli Ammoniti e gli Asdoditi seppero che la riparazione delle mura di Gerusalemme progrediva e che le brecce cominciavano a chiudersi, si adirarono molto 2 e tutti assieme congiurarono di venire ad attaccare Gerusalemme e crearvi confusione. 3 Allora noi pregammo il nostro Dio e contro di loro mettemmo sentinelle di giorno e di notte per difenderci dai loro attacchi. 4 Quelli di Giuda dicevano: «Le forze dei portatori vengono meno e le macerie sono molte; noi non potremo costruire le mura!». 5 I nostri avversari dicevano: «Senza che s'accorgano di nulla, noi piomberemo in mezzo a loro, li uccideremo e faremo cessare i lavori». 6 Poiché i Giudei che dimoravano vicino a loro vennero a riferirci dieci volte: «Da tutti i luoghi ai quali vi volgete, essi saranno contro di noi», 7 io, nelle parti sottostanti a ciascun posto oltre le mura, in luoghi scoperti, disposi il popolo per famiglie, con le loro spade, le loro lance, i loro archi. 8 Dopo aver considerato la cosa, mi alzai e dissi ai notabili, ai magistrati e al resto del popolo: «Non li temete! Ricordatevi del Signore grande e tremendo; combattete per i vostri fratelli, per i vostri figli e le vostre figlie, per le vostre mogli e per le vostre case!». 9 Quando i nostri nemici vennero a sapere che eravamo informati della cosa, Dio fece fallire il loro disegno e noi tutti tornammo alle mura, ognuno al suo lavoro. 10 Da quel giorno la metà dei miei giovani lavorava e l'altra metà stava armata di lance, di scudi, di archi, di corazze; i capi erano dietro tutta la casa di Giuda. 11 Quelli che costruivano le mura e quelli che portavano o caricavano i pesi, con una mano lavoravano e con l'altra tenevano la loro arma; 12 tutti i costruttori, lavorando, portavano ciascuno la spada cinta ai fianchi. Il trombettiere stava accanto a me. 13 Dissi allora ai notabili, ai magistrati e al resto del popolo: «L'opera è grande ed estesa e noi siamo sparsi sulle mura e distanti l'uno dall'altro. 14 Dovunque udirete il suono della tromba, raccoglietevi presso di noi; il nostro Dio combatterà per noi». 15 Così continuavamo i lavori, mentre la metà della mia gente teneva impugnata la lancia, dall'apparire dell'alba allo spuntar delle stelle. 16 Anche in quell'occasione dissi al popolo: «Ognuno con il suo aiutante passi la notte dentro Gerusalemme, per far con noi la guardia durante la notte e riprendere il lavoro di giorno». 17 Io poi, i miei fratelli, i miei servi e gli uomini di guardia che mi seguivano, non ci togliemmo mai le vesti; ognuno teneva l'arma a portata di mano.
Nehemiah 4
New King James Version
The Wall Defended Against Enemies
4 But it so happened, (A)when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?”
3 Now (B)Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
4 (C)Hear, O our God, for we are despised; (D)turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 (E)Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.
6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now it happened, (F)when Sanballat, Tobiah, (G)the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the [a]gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them (H)conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless (I)we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”
12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”
13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, (J)“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, (K)great and awesome, and (L)fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and (M)that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders [b]were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. (N)Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we labored in the work, and half of [c]the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 22 At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.” 23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 4:7 Lit. breaks
- Nehemiah 4:16 Supported
- Nehemiah 4:21 Lit. them
Nehemiah 4
Legacy Standard Bible
Sanballat and Tobiah Mock the Jews’ Work
4 [a]Now it happened that when (A)Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and very vexed and mocked the Jews. 2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and (B)the [b]wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they complete it in a day? Can they bring the stones to life from the [c](C)dusty rubble, though they are burned?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—(D)if a fox should [d]jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
4 (E)Hear, O our God, for we are despised! (F)Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not [e](G)forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have [f]vexed the builders.
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, and the people had a heart to work.
7 [g]Now it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the [h]repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the places broken down began to be closed, they were very angry. 8 All of them (H)joined together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. 9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we (I)stood a guard against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said,
“The [i]strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much [j]rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.” 12 Now it happened when the Jews who lived near them came and said to us ten times, “[k]They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” 13 that I had men stand in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the [l]exposed places, and I (J)had the people stand by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then I saw their fear. And I arose and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “(K)Do not fear them; remember the Lord who is great and fearsome, and (L)fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Doing the Work and Holding a Weapon
15 Now it happened that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that (M)God had thwarted their counsel, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16 And it happened that from that day on, half of my young men carried on the work while half of them took hold of the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the commanders were behind the whole house of Judah. 17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while [m]the trumpeter stood near me. 19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather together to us. (N)Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we kept doing the work with half of them holding spears from [n]dawn until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his young man spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a worker by day.” 23 So neither I, my brothers, my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 4:1 Ch 3:33 in Heb
- Nehemiah 4:2 Or army
- Nehemiah 4:2 Lit heaps of dust
- Nehemiah 4:3 Lit go up
- Nehemiah 4:5 Lit cover
- Nehemiah 4:5 Or offended against
- Nehemiah 4:7 Ch 4:1 in Heb
- Nehemiah 4:7 Lit healing
- Nehemiah 4:10 Lit power
- Nehemiah 4:10 Lit dust
- Nehemiah 4:12 As in Gr; Heb omits They...up
- Nehemiah 4:13 Lit bare
- Nehemiah 4:18 Lit he who sounded the trumpet
- Nehemiah 4:21 Lit rising of the dawn
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.