Nehemiah 4

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews.	1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.
2 And he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?”	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 Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone wall.”	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 Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity.	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 May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building.	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 And so we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work.	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 Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly angry.	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 And they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes.	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 we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against them.	9 And we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
10 Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build 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 And our enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”	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 Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this.	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 So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows.	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 gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.”	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 Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work.	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 And it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah.	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 As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword.	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 For each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet beside me.	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 magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.	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 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf.	20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."
21 And so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.”	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 Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.”	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 But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash.	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.