Nehemiah 4:1–8

Work Is Ridiculed

1 1Now it came about that when aSanballat 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 athe 1wealthy 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 2bdusty rubble even the burned ones?”

3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—aif a fox should 1jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

4 aHear, O our God, how we are despised! bReturn their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.

5 Do not 1aforgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have 2demoralized the builders.

6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a 1mind to work.

7 1Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the 2repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

8 All of them aconspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.