- Nehemias (Second of Esdras)
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chapter 4
1
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.
2 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?
3 Tobias also the Ammonite who was by him said : Let
them build: if a fox go up, he will leap over their stone wall.
4 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.
5 Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be
blotted out from before thy face, because they have mocked thy builders.
6 So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto
the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
7 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.
8 And they all assembled themselves together, to come,
and to fight against Jerusalem, and to prepare ambushes.
9 And we prayed to our God, and set watchmen upon the
wall day and night against them.
10 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.
11 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.
12 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,
13 I set the people in the place behind the wall round
about in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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.
18 For every one of the builders was girded with a
sword about his reins. And they built, and sounded with a trumpet by me.
19 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:
20 In what place soever you shall hear the sound of the
trumpet, run all thither unto us: our God will fight for us.
21 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.
22 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.
23 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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