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Nehemias 4
And it came to pass, that when Sanaballat heard that
we were building the wall he was angry: and being moved
exceedingly he scoffed at the Jews.
And said before his brethren, and the multitude of the
Samaritans: What are the silly Jews doing? Will the
Gentiles let them alone? will they sacrifice and make
an end in a day? are they able to raise stones out of
the heaps of the rubbish, which are burnt?
Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said : Let them
build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone
wall.
Hear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach
upon their own head, and give them to be despised in
a land of captivity.
Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted
out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy
builders.
So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto
the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited
to work.
And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and
the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Azotians heard
that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and the breaches
began to be closed, that they were exceedingly angry.
And they all assembled themselves together, to come,
and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the
wall day and night against them.
And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens
is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall
not be able to build the wall.
And our enemies said: Let them not know, nor understand,
till we come in the midst of them, and kill them, and
cause the work to cease.
And it came to pass, that when the Jews that dwelt by
them came and told us ten times, out of all the places
from whence they came to us,
I set the people in the place behind the wall round
about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
And I looked and rose up: and I said to the chief men
and the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people:
be not afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great
and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons,
and your daughters, and your wives, and your houses.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that the
thing had been told us, that God defeated their counsel.
And we returned all of us to the walls, every man to
his work.
And it came to pass from that day forward, that half
of their young men did the work, and half were ready
for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and
coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all
the house of Juda.
Of them that built on the wall and that carried burdens,
and that laded: with one of his hands he did the work,
and with the other he held a sword.
For every one of the builders was girded with a sword
about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a
trumpet by me.
And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and
to the rest of the common people: The work is great
and wide, and we are separated on the wall one far from
another:
In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the
trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight
for us.
And let us do the work: and let one half of us hold
our spears from the rising of the morning, till the
stars appear.
At that time also I said to the people: Let every one
with his servant stay in the midst of Jerusalem, and
let us take our turns in the night, and by day, to work.
Now I and my brethren, and my servants, and the watchmen
that followed me, did not put off our clothes: only
every man stripped himself when he was to be washed.
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