Read the Bible

Work Is Ridiculed

^1 (F1)Now it came about that when ^(C1)Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.² He spoke in the presence of his brothers and ^(C1)the ^(F1)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 ^(F2)(C2)dusty rubble even the burned ones?"³ Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building--^(C1)if a fox should ^(F1)jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!"

^4 (C1)Hear, O our God, how we are despised! ^(C2)Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.⁵ Do not ^(F1)(C1)forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have ^(F2)demoralized the builders.

⁶ So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a ^(F1)mind to work.

^7 (F1)Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the ^(F2)repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.⁸ All of them ^(C1)conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

Discouragement Overcome

¹⁰ Thus ^(F1)in Judah it was said,

"The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much ^(F2)rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall."

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that ^(C1)God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.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.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.¹⁸ As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while ^(F1)the trumpeter stood near me.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.²⁰ "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, ^(F1)rally to us there. ^(C1)Our God will fight for us."

²¹ So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from ^(F1)dawn until the stars ^(F2)appeared.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."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.