Nehemiah 4:1-24, (KJV)
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded
the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked
the Jews. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of
Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify
themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day?
will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which
are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he
said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even
break down their stone wall.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach
upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of
captivity: 5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be
blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to
anger before the builders.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto
the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the
Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that
the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches
began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8 And conspired
all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and
to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a
watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is
decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to
build the wall.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till
we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause
the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them
came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye
shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the
higher places, I even set the people after their families with their
swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to
the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them:
remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for
your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and
your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was
known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought,
that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my
servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held
both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons;
and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens,
with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in
the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side,
and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 And 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.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet,
resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears
from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Likewise 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 labour on the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men
of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes,
saving that every one put them off for washing.
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