The Book of Nehemiah

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- Kapitel 4 -

The wall is defended against enemies

Now when Sanballat heard we were building the wall, it burned within him, and he was furiously angry, and he mocked the Jews.

In the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore the city for themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish the work in a day? Will they bring to life the stones from the piles of rubble after they were burned?

Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said, “If only a fox went up on what they are building, it would break down their stone wall!”

Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunts on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are prisoners.

Do not cover over their iniquity and do not erase their sin from before you, for they have provoked the builders to anger.

So we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a desire to work.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the work of repairing the walls of Jerusalem was going forward, and that the broken places in the wall were being closed up, a great anger burned within them.

They all conspired together, and they came to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night because of their threat.

Then the people of Judah said, “The strength of those who carry the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble, and we are not able to rebuild the wall.”

Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them and kill them, and stop the work.”

At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and spoke to us ten times, warning us about the schemes they were making against us.

So I positioned people in the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I positioned each family with their swords, spears, and bows.

Then I looked, and stood up, and I said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Call to mind the Lord, who is great and awesome. Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

It came about when our enemies heard that their plans were known to us, and God had frustrated their plans, all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.

So from that time half of my servants worked only on rebuilding the wall, and half of them held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor, while the leaders stood behind all the people of Judah.

The same workers who were building the wall and carrying loads were also guarding their positions. Everyone worked with one hand, and with the other hand he held his weapon.

Every builder wore his sword on his side and that is how he worked. The one who sounded the trumpet stayed beside me.

I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

You must rush to the place where you hear the trumpet sound and assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”

So we were doing the work. Half of them were holding spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.

I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in the middle of Jerusalem, so they may be for us a guard during the night and a worker in the day.”

So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us changed our clothes, and each of us carried his weapon, even if he went for water.

The wall is defended against enemies

But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.

Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”

So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;

and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.

But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.

Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”

Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.

Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.

I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”

So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.