Nehemiah 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Progress in Spite of Opposition
4 [a]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[b] 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 provoked[c] 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 [d]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:[e]
The strength of the laborer fails,
since there is so much rubble.
We will never be able
to rebuild the wall.
11 And our enemies said, “They won’t know or see anything 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,[f] “Everywhere you turn, they attack[g] 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 trumpeter 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 trumpet sound, 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 men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.[h]
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 4:1 Neh 3:33 in Hb
- Nehemiah 4:2 Or the army
- Nehemiah 4:5 Or provoked [You] in front of
- Nehemiah 4:7 Neh 4:1 in Hb
- Nehemiah 4:10 Lit Judah said
- Nehemiah 4:12 Lit us 10 times
- Nehemiah 4:12 Or again from every place, “You must return to
- Nehemiah 4:23 Lit Each his weapon the water
Nehemiah 4
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Hostile Plots Thwarted
4 [a] Now when Sanbal′lat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brethren and of the army of Samar′ia, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 Tobi′ah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn back their taunt upon their own heads, and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work.
7 [b] But when Sanbal′lat and Tobi′ah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ash′dodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry; 8 and they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9 And we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
10 But Judah said, “The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.” 11 And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come into the midst of them and kill them and stop the work.” 12 When the Jews who lived by them came they said to us ten times, “From all the places where they live[c] they will come up against us.”[d] 13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed 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 and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders stood behind all the house of Judah, 17 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were laden in such a way that each with one hand labored on the work and with the other held his weapon. 18 And each of the builders had his sword girded at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn till the stars came out. 22 I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” 23 So neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his hand.[e]
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 4:1 Ch 3.33 in Heb
- Nehemiah 4:7 Ch 4.1 in Heb
- Nehemiah 4:12 Cn: Heb you return
- Nehemiah 4:12 Compare Gk Syr: Heb uncertain
- Nehemiah 4:23 Cn: Heb each his weapon the water
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.