Opposition to the Rebuilding

4 a When Sanballatc heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associatesd and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubblee—burned as they are?”

3 Tobiahf the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”g

4 Hear us, our God, for we are despised.h Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilti or blot out their sins from your sight,j for they have thrown insults in the face ofb the builders.

6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah,k the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted togetherl to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.