CHAPTER 4

¹And it happened when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been healed, for the breaches had begun to be stopped up, they were very incensed. ²And all of them conspired together to come to battle against Jerusalem and to do wrong to us. ³And we prayed to our God and set up a watch over them day and night against them. ⁴And Judah said:

                Failed is the strength of the basket bearer,

                    and there is much rubble,

                and we are unable

                    to build the wall.

⁵And they said, “Our foes will not know and will not see till we come into their midst and slay them, and we shall desist from the task.” ⁶And it happened when the Jews dwelling near them came and said to us, “Ten times over from all the places where you turn back against us . . .” ⁷I stationed on the lower levels of the palace behind the walls on the bare rocks, I stationed the people by their clans with their swords, their lances, and their bows. ⁸And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not fear them. Recall the great and fear-some Master and battle for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” ⁹And it happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us, God thwarted their counsel, and we all went back to the wall, each man to his task. ¹⁰And it happened from that day that half my lads were doing the task and half of them were holding lances, shields, bows, and armor. And the commanders were behind all the house of Judah ¹¹who were building the wall and bearing the rubble baskets while armed, one hand doing the task and the other holding the weapon. ¹²And the builders, each had his sword girded on his hip as they built, and the sounder of the ram’s horn was by me. ¹³And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The task is great and spread out, and we are separated on the wall, each far apart from his fellow. ¹⁴In the place where you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, there you shall gather to us. Our God will battle for us.” ¹⁵And we were doing the task, and half of them were holding the lances from daybreak till the stars came out. ¹⁶At that time, too, I said to the people, “Each man and his lad shall spend the night within Jerusalem and shall be a watch for us at night, and during the day—the task.” ¹⁷And neither I nor my brothers nor my lads nor the men of the watch would take off our garments. Each man held his weapon in his right hand.