Nehemiah 4

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 When Sanbal at, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that repairs to the wallsof Jerusalem were going forward -- that the gaps were beginning to fill up -- they became very angry,	1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.
2 and they al plotted to come and attack Jerusalem and upset my plans.	2 And he said in the presence of his brethren and of the army of Samaria, "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 We, however, prayed to our God and organised a guard day and night to protect the city from them.	3 Tobiah 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 But in Judah the saying went, 'The strength of the carrier falters, the rubbish heap is so vast that byourselves we cannot rebuild the wal !'	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 And our opponents said, 'They wil never know or see a thing, until we are in there among them, andthen we shall massacre them and put a stop to the work.'	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 Now when the Jews who lived near them had warned us ten times over, 'They are coming up againstus from every place they live in,'	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 men took up position in the space behind the wal at those points where it was lowest, and I organisedthe people by families with their swords, spears and bows.	7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites 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 Aware of their anxiety, I then addressed the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Do not beafraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord and fight for your kinsmen, your sons, yourdaughters, your wives and your homes.'	8 and they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
9 Once our enemies heard that we were forewarned and that God had thwarted their plan, they withdrewand we al went back to the wal , each one to his work.	9 And we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
10 From then on, half my own retainers went on working, while the other half stood by, armed withspears, shields, bows and armour to protect the whole House of Judah as they rebuilt the wall.	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 The carriers were armed, working with one hand and holding a spear in the other.	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 Each builder had his sword strapped to his side as he built. Beside me stood a trumpeter.	12 When the Jews who lived by them came they said to us ten times, "From all the places where they live they will come up against us."
13 I then said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'The work is great and widely spreadout, and we are deployed along the wall some way from one another.	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 Rally to us wherever you hear the trumpet sounding; our God wil fight for us.'	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 And so we went on with the work from break of day until the stars came out.	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 At the same time I also told the people, 'Let every man, with his attendant, spend the night insideJerusalem; we shal spend the night on guard and the day at 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 Neither I, nor my brothers, nor my attendants, nor my bodyguards, ever took off our clothes; each onekept his spear in his right hand.	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.