Nehemiah 2:10–4:23

10 And Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, heard it, and it grieved them exceedingly, that a man was come, who sought the prosperity of the children of Israel.

11 And I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me, and I told not any man what God had put in my heart to do in Jerusalem, and there was no beast with me, but the beast that I rode upon.

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and before the dragon fountain, and to the dung gate, and I viewed the wall of Jerusalem which was broken down, and the gates thereof which were consumed with fire.

14 And I passed to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s aqueduct, and there was no place for the beast on which I rode to pass.

15 And I went up in the night by the torrent, and viewed the wall, and going back I came to the gate of the valley, and returned.

16 But the magistrates knew not whither I went, or what I did: neither had I as yet told any thing to the Jews, or to the priests, or to the nobles, or to the magistrates, or to the rest that did the work.

17 Then I said to them: You know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: come, and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, and let us be no longer a reproach.

18 And I shewed them how the hand of my God was good with me, and the king’s words, which he had spoken to me, and I said: Let us rise up, and build. And their hands were strengthened in good.

19 But Sanaballat the Horonite, and Tobias the servant, the Ammonite, and Gossem the Arabian heard of it, and they scoffed at us, and despised us, and said: What is this thing that you do? are you going to rebel against the king?

20 And I answered them, and said to them: The God of heaven he helpeth us, and we are his servants: let us rise up and build: but you have no part, nor justice, nor remembrance in Jerusalem.

Chapter 3

Then Eliasib the high priest arose, and his brethren the priests, and they built the flock gate: they sanctified it, and set up the doors thereof, even unto the tower of a hundred cubits they sanctified it unto the tower of Hananeel.

2 And next to him the men of Jericho built: and next to them built Zachur the son of Amri.

3 But the fish gate the sons of Asnaa built: they covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars. And next to them built Marimuth the son of Urias the son of Accus.

4 And next to him built Mosollam the son of Barachias, the son of Merezebel, and next to them built Sadoc the son of Baana.

5 And next to them the Thecuites built: but their great men did not put their necks to the work of their Lord.

6 And Joiada the son of Phasea, and Mosollam the son of Besodia built the old gate: they covered it and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.

7 And next to them built Meltias the Gabaonite, and Jadon the Meronathite, the men of Gabaon and Maspha, for the governor that was in the country beyond the river.

8 And next to him built Eziel the son of Araia the goldsmith: and next to him built Ananias the son of the perfumer: and they left Jerusalem unto the wall of the broad street.

9 And next to him built Raphaia the son of Hur, lord of the street of Jerusalem.

10 And next to him Jedaia the son of Haromaph over against his own house: and next to him built Hattus the son of Hasebonia.

11 Melchias the son of Herem, and Hasub the son of Phahath Moab, built half the street, and the tower of the furnaces.

12 And next to him built Sellum the son of Alohes, lord of half the street of Jerusalem, he and his daughters.

13 And the gate of the valley Hanun built, and the inhabitants of Zanoe: they built it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars, and a thousand cubits in the wall unto the gate of the dunghill.

14 And the gate of the dunghill Melchias the son of Rechab built, lord of the street of Bethacharam: he built it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars.

15 And the gate of the fountain, Sellum, the son of Cholhoza, built, lord of the street of Maspha: he built it, and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks, and the bars, and the walls of the pool of Siloe unto the king’s guard, and unto the steps that go down from the city of David.

16 After him built Nehemias the son of Azboc, lord of half the street of Bethsur, as far as over against the sepulchre of David, and to the pool, that was built with great labour, and to the house of the mighty.

17 After him built the Levites, Rehum the son of Benni. After him built Hasebias, lord of half the street of Ceila in his own street.

18 After him built their brethren Bavai the son of Enadad, lord of half Ceila.

19 And next to him Aser the son of Josue, lord of Maspha, built another measure, over against the going up of the strong corner.

20 After him in the mount Baruch the son of Zachai built another measure, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliasib the high priest.

21 After him Merimuth the son of Urias the son of Haccus, built another measure, from the door of the house of Eliasib, to the end of the house of Eliasib.

22 And after him built the priests, the men of the plains of the Jordan.

23 After him built Benjamin and Hasub, over against their own house: and after him built Azarias the son of Maasias the son of Ananias over against his house.

24 After him built Bennui the son of Hanadad another measure, from the house of Azarias unto the bending, and unto the corner.

25 Phalel, the son of Ozi, over against the bending and the tower, which lieth out from the king’s high house, that is, in the court of the prison: after him Phadaia the son of Pharos.

26 And the Nathinites dwelt in Ophel, as far as over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stood out.

27 After him the Thecuites built another measure over against, from the great tower that standeth out unto the wall of the temple.

28 And upward from the horse gate the priests built, every man over against his house.

29 After them built Sadoc the son of Emmer over against his house. And after him built Semaia the son of Sechenias, keeper of the east gate.

30 After him built Hanania the son of Selemia, and Hanun the sixth son of Seleph, another measure: after him built Mosollam the son of Barachias over against his treasury.

31 After him Melcias the goldsmith’s son built unto the house of the Nathinites, and of the sellers of small wares, over against the judgment gate, and unto the chamber of the corner. And within the chamber of the corner of the flock gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants built.

Chapter 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.

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…