American Standard Version

Nehemiah 4

1Butitcametopassthat,whenSanballatH5571heardH8085thatwewerebuildingthewallH2346,hewasH1961wroth,andtookgreatindignation,andmockedtheJews.

2Andhespake beforehisbrethrenandthearmyofSamaria,andsaid,Whatarethesefeeble Jewsdoing?willtheyfortify themselves?willtheysacrifice?willtheymakeH6213anendinaday?willtheyrevivethestonesoutoftheheapsofrubbish, seeingtheyareburned?

3Now TobiahtheAmmonitewasbyhim,andhesaid,Eventhatwhichtheyarebuilding, ifafox goup,heshallbreakdowntheirstone wall.

4Hear,OourGod;forwearedespised:andturn backtheirreproach upontheirown head,andgivethemupforaspoilinalandofcaptivity;

5andcovernottheiriniquity,andletnottheirsinbeblottedoutfrombeforethee;fortheyhaveprovoked theetoangerbeforethebuilders.

6Sowebuiltthewall;andallthewallwasH1961joinedtogetherunto halftheheight thereof:forthepeoplehadamindtowork.

7Butitcametopassthat,whenSanballat,andTobiah,andtheArabians,andtheAmmonites,andtheAshdodites, heardthattherepairingofthewallsH2346ofJerusalem went forward,andthatthebreaches begantobestopped,thentheywerevery wroth;

8andtheyconspiredallofthemtogethertocomeandfightH3898againstJerusalem,andtocause confusion therein.

9ButwemadeH3045ourprayer untoourGodH430,andsetawatchagainstthemdayandnight,becauseofthem.

10AndJudahH3063said,Thestrengthofthebearersofburdensisdecayed,andthereismuchrubbish;sothatwearenotabletobuildthewall.

11Andouradversaries said,Theyshallnot know, neither see, tillwecomeintothemidstofthem,andslaythem,andcausetheworkH4399tocease.

12Anditcametopassthat,whentheJewsthatdweltbythemcame,theysaid untousten timesfromallplaces, Ye must return untous.

13Therefore setIinthelowestpartsofthespace behindthewallH2346,intheopenplaces,Iset therethepeopleH5971aftertheirfamilieswiththeirswords,theirspears,andtheirbows.

14AndIlooked,androseup,andsaiduntothenobles,andtotherulers,andtotherestofthepeople,Benot ye afraidofthem: remembertheLord,whoisgreatandterrible,andfightH3898foryourbrethren,yoursons,andyourdaughters,yourwives,andyourhouses.

15AnditcameH3318topass,whenourenemies heardthatitwasknownuntous,andGodhadbroughtH3318theircounseltonought,thatwereturnedallofustothewall, everyoneH6213untohisworkH4399.

16Anditcametopassfromthattimeבָּעֵ֤תba.'EtH6256forth,thathalfofmyservantsH5288wroughtintheworkH4399,andhalfofthemheldthespears,theshields,andthebows,andthecoatsofmail;andtherulerswereH1961behindallthehouseofJudah.

17Theythatbuildedthewallandtheythatbare burdens ladedthemselves;everyoneאִ֖ישׁ'ishH376withoneH376ofhishands wroughtinthework,andwiththeotherheldhisweaponH7973;

18and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another:

20in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.

21So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.

23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one went with his weapon to the water.

Commentaries on Nehemiah 4

American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain