4:1  Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.

4:2  He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy {men} of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore {it} for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?"

4:3  Now Tobiah the Ammonite {was} near him and he said, "Even what they are building--if a fox should jump on {it,} he would break their stone wall down!"

4:4  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.

4:5  Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

4:6  So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its {height,} for the people had a mind to work.

4:7  Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, {and} that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

4:8  All of them conspired together to come {and} fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

4:9  But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

4:10  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."

4:11  Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work."

4:12  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,"

4:13  then I stationed {men} in 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.

4:14  When I saw {their 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."

4:15  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.

4:16  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 captains {were} behind the whole house of Judah.

4:17  Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took {their} load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.

4:18  As for the builders, each {wore} his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter {stood} near me.

4:19  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.

4:20  "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."

4:21  So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.

4:22  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."

4:23  So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each {took} his weapon {even to} the water.