Work Is Ridiculed
1 Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.
2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthymenof Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restoreitfor themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonitewasnear him and he said, “Even what they are building-if a fox should jump onit,he would break their stone wall down!”
4 Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half itsheight,for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on,andthat the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.
8 All of them conspired together to comeandfight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.
Discouragement Overcome
9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
10 Thus in Judah it was said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.”
12 When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”
13 then I stationedmenin the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.
14 When I sawtheir fear,I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captainswerebehind the whole house of Judah.
17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens tooktheirload with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
18 As for the builders, eachworehis sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeterstoodnear 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, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.”
23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, eachtookhis weaponeven tothe water.
—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/NEH/4-2d2557cfd50436e78e6e4401098406e2.mp3?version_id=100—