1THE news that we were rebuilding the wall roused the indignation of Sanballat, and angrily he jeered at the Jews,
2saying in front of his companions and of the garrison in Samaria, “What do these feeble Jews think they are doing? Do they mean to reconstruct the place? Do they hope to offer sacrifice and finish the work in a day? Can they make stones again out of heaps of rubble, and burnt rubble at that?”
3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Whatever it is they are building, if a fox climbs up their stone walls, it will break them down.”
4Hear, our God, how we are treated with contempt. Make their derision recoil on their own heads; let them become objects of contempt in a land of captivity.
5Do not condone their guilt or let their sin be struck off the record, for they have openly provoked the builders.
6We built up the wall until it was continuous all round up to half its height; and the people worked with a will.
7But when Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs and Ammonites and Ashdodites, heard that the new work on the walls of Jerusalem had made progress and that the closing up of the breaches had gone ahead, they were furious,
8and all banded together to launch an attack on Jerusalem and create confusion.
9So we prayed to our God, and posted a guard against them day and night.
10In Judah it was said: “The labourers” strength has failed, and there is too much rubble; by ourselves we shall never be able to rebuild the wall.'
11Our adversaries said, “Before they know it or see anything, we shall be upon them, killing them and putting an end to the work.”
12When the Jews living nearby came into the city, they warned us a dozen times that our adversaries would gather from every place where they lived to attack us,
13and that they would station themselves on the lowest levels below the wall, on patches of open ground. Accordingly I posted my people by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows.
14Then having surveyed the position I addressed the nobles, the magistrates, and the rest of the people. “Do not be afraid of them,” I said. “Remember the Lord, great and terrible, and fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives and your homes.”
15When our enemies heard that everything was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plans, we all returned to the wall, each to his task.
16From that day forward half the men under me were engaged in the actual building, while the other half stood by holding their spears, shields, and bows, and wearing coats of mail; and officers supervised all the people of Judah
17who were engaged on the wall. The porters carrying the loads held their load with one hand and a weapon with the other.
18The builders had their swords attached to their belts as they built. The trumpeter stayed beside me,
19and I said to the nobles, the magistrates, and all the people: “The work is great and extends over much ground, and we are widely separated on the wall, each man at some distance from his neighbour.
20Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there, and our God will fight for us.”
21So with half the men holding spears we continued the work from daybreak until the stars came out.
22At the same time I had said to the people, “Let every man and his servant remain all night inside Jerusalem, to act as a guard for us by night and a working party by day.”
23Neither I nor my kinsmen nor the men under me nor my bodyguard ever took off our clothes; each one kept his right hand on his spear.
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