Nehemiah 4:1-14

Wycliffe Bible

4 And it was done, when Sanballat had heard, that we builded the wall, he was full wroth, and he was stirred greatly, and he scorned the Jews. (And it was done, when Sanballat heard, that we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, and was greatly stirred up, and he scorned the Jews.)

² And he said before his brethren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What do the feeble Jews? Whether heathen men shall suffer them? Whether they shall [ful]fill, and make sacrifice in one day? Whether they may build stones of the heaps of the dust, which be burnt? (And he said before his kinsmen, and the multitude of the Samaritans, What do these feeble Jews think they be doing? Do they think they can rebuild the whole city? Do they believe they can just make a sacrifice, and then finish it all in one day? Can they make stones out of heaps of rubble, which be all burned up?)

³ And also Tobiah (the) Ammonite, his neighbour, said, Build they; if a fox go up, he shall over-leap their stone wall. (And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, Let them build; for if a fox shall go up there, he shall just leap over their stone wall.)

⁴ And Nehemiah said (in prayer), Our God, hear thou, for we be made despising (for we be despised); turn thou the shame upon their own head(s), and give thou them into despising in the land of captivity;

⁵ cover thou not the wickedness of them, and their sins be not done away before thy face; for they scorned the builders.

⁶ Therefore we builded the wall, and joined together all till to the half part, and the heart of the people was excited to work. (And so we rebuilt the wall, and joined it all together, up to half of its height, and the heart of the people was excited to do this work.)

⁷ And it was done when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Arabians, and Ammonites, and men of Ashdod had heard, that the breaking of the wall of Jerusalem was stopped, and that the crazings had begun to be closed together, they were full wroth. (And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the men of Ashdod had heard, that the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was progressing, and that the gaps had begun to be closed, they were very angry.)

⁸ And they all were gathered together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cast treasons against it.

⁹ And we prayed the Lord our God, and we setted keepers on the wall day and night against them. (And we prayed to the Lord our God, and we put guards on the wall day and night, to protect against them.)

¹⁰ And Judah said, The strength of the bearer is made feeble, and the earth is full much, and we be not able to build the wall. (But the men of Judah said, The strength of the workers hath become feeble, and there is just too much rubble, and so we cannot rebuild the wall.)

¹¹ And our enemies said, Know they not, and know they not, till we come into the middle of them, and slay them, and make the work to cease. (And our enemies said, Let them know nothing, until we suddenly come into their midst, and kill them all, and stop the work.)

¹² Forsooth it was done, when [the] Jews came, that dwelled beside them, and said to us by ten times, from all places from which they came to us, (And it was done, that the Jews who lived beside them came, and told us ten times, that our enemies would soon be upon us, from all the places from which they had come to us,)

¹³ I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in a place behind the wall by compass. (and so I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in places all around behind the wall.)

¹⁴ I beheld, and rose, and said to the principal men, and magistrates, and to the other part of the common people, Do not ye dread of their face; but have ye mind of the great Lord, and fearedful, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, for your wives, and house(hold)s. (And I looked about, and rose up, and said to the leaders, and the magistrates, and to all the people, Do not ye fear them; but instead, think upon, or remember, the great and fearful Lord, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your families, or your kinsmen.)