Nehemiah 4

Sanballat and Tobiah mocked the rebuilding and then plotted a military attack; Nehemiah armed the workers and set half the men as guards. The builders worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other, and the work continued day and night.

v	King James Version	Modern English
1	But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.	When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and greatly enraged. He ridiculed the Jews,
2	And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?	saying before his associates and the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubble — burned ones at that?"
3	Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.	Tobiah the Ammonite was nearby and said, "Whatever they are building — even a fox could break down their stone wall!"
4	Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:	Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
5	And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.	Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6	So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.	So we rebuilt the wall, and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a heart to work.
7	But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,	But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of Jerusalem's walls was progressing and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
8	And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.	They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion.
9	Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.	But we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night.
10	And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.	Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing; there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
11	And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.	Our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right among them and kill them and put an end to the work."
12	And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.	When the Jews who lived near them came to us, they kept warning us ten times over, "From all the places where they live they will attack us."
13	Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.	So I stationed men in the lower parts of the space behind the wall, in open places. I stationed them by families, with their swords, spears, and bows.
14	And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.	After looking things over I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives, and your homes."
15	And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.	When our enemies heard that we knew their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to His own work.
16	And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.	From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stood behind the whole house of Judah
17	They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.	who were building on the wall. Those who carried loads did their work with one hand holding the load and the other hand holding a weapon.
18	For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.	Each builder wore his sword at his side while he worked. The man who sounded the trumpet stayed close to me.
19	And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.	I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out. We are widely separated on the wall, one far from another.
20	In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.	Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us."
21	So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.	So we carried on the work with half of the men holding spears, from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
22	Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.	At that time I also told the people, "Let every man and his servant stay inside Jerusalem at night, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day."
23	So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.	So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who were with me ever took off our clothes, except every one put them off for washing.