Nehemiah 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Sanballat and Tobiah Mock the Jews’ Work

1 [fn]Now it happened ^H1961 that when ^H834 Sanballat ^H5571 heard ^H8085 that we were rebuilding ^H1129 the wall ^H2346, he became ^H2734 angry ^H2734 and very ^H7235 vexed ^H3707 and mocked ^H3932 the Jews ^H3064.

2 He spoke ^H559 in the presence ^H6440 of his brothers ^H251 and the [fn]wealthy ^H2428 men of Samaria ^H8111 and said ^H559, “What ^H4100 are these feeble ^H537 Jews ^H3064 doing ^H6213? Are they going to restore ^H5800 it for themselves? Can they offer ^H2076 sacrifices ^H2076? Can they complete ^H3615 it in a day ^H3117? Can they bring ^H2421 the stones ^H68 to life ^H2421 from the [fn]dusty ^H6083 rubble ^H6194, though they are burned ^H8313?” 3 Now Tobiah ^H2900 the Ammonite ^H5984 was near ^H681 him and he said ^H559, “Even ^H1571 what ^H834 they are building ^H1129—if ^H518 a fox ^H7776 should [fn]jump ^H5927 on it, he would break ^H6555 their stone ^H68 wall ^H2346 down ^H6555!”

4 Hear ^H8085, O our God ^H430, for ^H3588 we are despised ^H939! Return ^H7725 their reproach ^H2781 on their own heads ^H7218 and give ^H5414 them up ^H5414 for plunder ^H961 in a land ^H776 of captivity ^H7633. 5 Do not [fn]forgive ^H3680 their iniquity ^H5771 and let not their sin ^H2403 be blotted ^H4229 out ^H4229 before ^H4480 H6440 You, for they have [fn]vexed ^H3707 H5048 the builders ^H1129.

6 So we built ^H1129 the wall ^H2346 and the whole ^H3605 wall ^H2346 was joined ^H7194 together ^H7194 to half ^H2677 its height, and the people ^H5971 had ^H1961 a heart ^H3820 to work ^H6213.

7 [fn]Now it happened that when ^H834 Sanballat ^H5571, Tobiah ^H2900, the Arabs ^H6163, the Ammonites ^H5984, and the Ashdodites ^H796 heard ^H8085 that the [fn]repair ^H724 of the walls ^H2346 of Jerusalem ^H3389 went ^H5927 on, and that the places broken ^H6555 down began ^H2490 to be ^H5640 closed ^H5640, they were ^H2734 very ^H3966 angry ^H2734. 8 All ^H3605 of them joined ^H7194 together ^H3162 to come ^H935 and fight ^H3898 against Jerusalem ^H3389 and to cause ^H6213 a disturbance ^H8442 in it. 9 But we prayed ^H6419 to our God ^H430, and because ^H5921 of them we stood ^H5975 a guard ^H4929 against ^H5921 them day ^H3119 and night ^H3915.

10 Then Judah ^H3063 said ^H559,

“The [fn]strength ^H3581 of the burden ^H5449 bearers ^H5449 is failing ^H3782,

Yet there is much ^H7235 [fn]rubbish ^H6083;

And we ourselves ^H587 are ^H3201 unable ^H3808 H3201

To rebuild ^H1129 the wall ^H2346.”

11 Our adversaries ^H6862 said ^H559, “They will not know ^H3045 or see ^H7200 until ^H5704 H834 we come ^H935 among ^H413 H8432 them, kill ^H2026 them, and put ^H7673 a ^H7673 stop ^H7673 to ^H7673 the work ^H4399.” 12 Now it happened when ^H834 the Jews ^H3064 who lived ^H3427 near ^H681 them came ^H935 and said ^H559 to us ten ^H6235 times ^H6471, “[fn]They will come up against ^H5921 us from every ^H3605 place ^H4725 where ^H834 you may turn ^H7725,” 13 that I had men stand ^H5975 in the lowest ^H8482 parts ^H8482 of the space ^H4725 behind ^H310 the wall ^H2346, the [fn]exposed ^H6706 places ^H6706, and I had the people ^H5971 stand ^H5975 by families ^H4940 with their swords ^H2719, spears ^H7420, and bows ^H7198. 14 Then I saw ^H7200 their fear. And I arose ^H6965 and said ^H559 to the nobles ^H2715, the officials ^H5461, and the rest ^H3499 of the people ^H5971: “Do not fear ^H3372 them; remember ^H2142 the Lord ^H136 who is great ^H1419 and fearsome ^H3372, and fight ^H3898 for your brothers ^H251, your sons ^H1121, your daughters ^H1323, your wives ^H802, and your houses ^H1004.”

Doing the Work and Holding a Weapon

15 Now ^H834 it happened that when our enemies ^H340 heard ^H8085 that it was known ^H3045 to us, and that God ^H430 had thwarted ^H6565 their counsel ^H6098, then all ^H3605 of us returned ^H7725 to the wall ^H2346, each ^H376 one ^H376 to his work ^H4399.

16 And it happened that from that day ^H3117 on, half ^H2677 of my young ^H5288 men ^H5288 carried ^H6213 on the work ^H4399 while half ^H2677 of them took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of the spears ^H7420, the shields ^H4043, the bows ^H7198, and the breastplates ^H8302; and the commanders ^H8269 were behind ^H310 the whole ^H3605 house ^H1004 of Judah ^H3063. 17 Those who were rebuilding ^H1129 the wall ^H2346 and those who carried ^H5375 burdens ^H5447 took ^H6006 their load ^H6006 with one ^H259 hand ^H3027 doing ^H6213 the work ^H4399 and the other ^H259 holding ^H2388 a weapon ^H7973. 18 As for the builders ^H1129, each ^H376 wore his sword ^H2719 girded ^H631 at his side ^H4975 as he built ^H1129, while [fn]the trumpeter ^H8628 H7782 stood near ^H681 me. 19 I said ^H559 to the nobles ^H2715, the officials ^H5461 and the rest ^H3499 of the people ^H5971, “The work ^H4399 is great ^H7235 and extensive ^H7342, and we are separated ^H6504 on the wall ^H2346 far ^H7350 from one ^H376 another ^H251. 20 At whatever ^H834 place ^H4725 you hear ^H8085 the sound ^H6963 of the trumpet ^H7782, there ^H8033 gather ^H6908 together ^H6908 to us. Our God ^H430 will fight ^H3898 for us.”

21 So we kept ^H6213 doing ^H6213 the work ^H4399 with half ^H2677 of them holding ^H2388 spears ^H7420 from [fn]dawn ^H5927 H7837 until ^H5704 the stars ^H3556 came ^H3318 out ^H3318. 22 At that time ^H6256 I also ^H1571 said ^H559 to the people ^H5971, “Let each ^H376 man ^H376 with his young ^H5288 man ^H5288 spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 within ^H8432 Jerusalem ^H3389 so that they may be a guard ^H4929 for us by night ^H3915 and a worker ^H4399 by day ^H3117.” 23 So neither ^H369 I, my brothers ^H251, my young ^H5288 men ^H5288, nor ^H369 the men ^H376 of the guard ^H4929 who ^H834 followed ^H310 me, none ^H369 of us removed ^H6584 our clothes ^H899, each ^H376 took his weapon ^H7973 even to the water ^H4325.