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.

²⁰ At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather together to us. ^(A)Our God will fight for us.”