the Fourth Week of Advent
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Wycliffe Bible
Nehemiah 4
1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballath hadde herd, that we bildiden the wal, he was ful wrooth, and he was stirid greetli, and scornede the Jewis.2 And he seide bifor hise britheren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What doen the feble Jewis? Whether hethene men schulen suffre hem? Whether thei schulen fille, and make sacrifice in o dai? Whether thei moun bilde stonys of the heepis of the dust, that ben brent?3 But also Tobie Amanytes, his neiybore, seide, Bilde thei; if a fox stieth, he schal `skippe ouer the stony wal `of hem.4 And Neemye seide, Oure God, here thou, for we ben maad dispising; turne thou the schenschip on her heed, and yyue thou hem in to dispisyng in the lond of caytifte;5 hile thou not the wickidnesse of hem, and her synnes be not doon awei bifor thi face; for thei scorneden bilderis.6 Therfor we bildiden the wal, and ioyneden togidere al `til to the half part, and the herte of the puple was exitid to worche.
7 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballat `hadde herd, and Tobie, and Arabiens, and Amanytys, and men of Azotus hadden herd, that the brekyng of the wal of Jerusalem was stoppid, and that the crasyngis hadden bigunne to be closid togidere, thei weren ful wrothe.8 And alle weren gaderid togidere to come and fiyte ayens Jerusalem, and to caste tresouns.9 And we preieden oure Lord God, and we settiden keperis on the wal bi dai and niyt ayens hem.10 Forsothe Juda seide, The strengthe of the berere is maad feble, and the erthe is ful myche, and we moun not bilde the wal.11 And oure enemyes seiden, Wite thei not, and knowe thei not, til we comen in to the myddil of hem, and sleen hem, and maken the werk to ceesse.12 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Jewis came, that dwelliden bisidis hem, and seiden to vs `bi ten tymes, fro alle places fro whiche thei camen to vs,13 Y ordeynede the puple in ordre, with her swerdis, and speris, and bouwis, in a place bihynde the wal bi cumpas.14 Y bihelde, and roos, and seide to the principal men, and magistratis, and to `the tother part of the comyn puple, Nyle ye drede of her face; haue ye mynde of the greet Lord, and ferdful, and fiyte ye for youre britheren, and youre sones, and youre douytris, for youre wyues, and housis.15 Forsothe it was doon, whanne oure enemyes hadden herd that it was teld to vs, God distriede her counsel; and alle we turneden ayen to the wallis, ech man to his werk.
16 And it was doon fro that dai, the half part of yonge men made werk, and the half part was redi to batel; `and speris, and scheldis, and bouwis, and harburiouns, and princes aftir hem, in al the hows of men of Juda,17 bildynge in the wal, and berynge birthuns, and puttynge on; with her oon hond thei maden werk, and with the tother thei helden swerd.18 For ech of the bilderis was gird with the swerd on the reynes; and thei bildiden, and sowneden with clariouns bisidis me.19 And Y seide to the principal men, and magistratis, and to the tothir part of the comyn puple, The werk is greet and brood, and we ben departid fer in the wal, oon from anothir;20 in what euer place ye heren the sown of the trumpe, renne ye togidere thidur to vs; for oure God schal fiyte for vs.21 And we `vs silf schal make the werk, and the half part of vs holde speris, fro `the stiyng of the moreutid til that sterris go out.22 And `in that tyme Y seide to the puple, Ech man with his child dwelle in the myddil of Jerusalem, and whilis be to vs `bi nyyt and dai to worche.23 But Y, and my britheren, and my keperis, and children, that weren after me, diden not of oure clothis; ech man was maad nakid oneli to waischyng.
