Nechemyah, starting at chapter 4
{4:1} But it happened that when Sanvallat heard that we were
building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and
mocked the Yehudim. {4:2} He spoke before his brothers and the army of
Shomron, and said, What are these feeble Yehudim doing? 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 rubbish, seeing
they are burned? {4:3} Now Toviyah the `Ammonite was by him, and he
said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall
break down their stone wall. {4:4} Hear, our God; for we are despised:
and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them up for a
spoil in a land of captivity; {4:5} and don't cover their iniquity,
and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have
provoked [you] to anger before the builders. {4:6} So we built the
wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it:
for the people had a mind to work. {4:7} But it happened that when
Sanvallat, Toviyah, the `Aravi'im, the `Ammonim, and the Ashdodi heard
that the repairing of the walls of Yerushalayim went forward, [and]
that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry;
{4:8} and they conspired all of them together to come and fight
against Yerushalayim, and to cause confusion therein. {4:9} But we
made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and
night, because of them. {4:10} Yehudah 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. {4:11} Our adversaries said, They
shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and
kill them, and cause the work to cease. {4:12} It happened that when
the Yehudim who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all
places, You must return to us. {4:13} Therefore set I in the lowest
parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set [there]
the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and
their bows. {4:14} I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and
to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Don't be you afraid of
them: remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your
brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
{4:15} It happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us,
and God had brought their counsel to nothing, that we returned all of
us to the wall, everyone to his work. {4:16} It happened from that
time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of
them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of
mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Yehudah. {4:17} They
all built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves;
everyone with one of his hands worked in the work, and with the other
held his weapon; {4:18} and the builders, everyone had his sword
girded by his side, and so built. He who sounded the [1>]shofar[<1]
was by me. {4:19} I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the
rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated
on the wall, one far from another: {4:20} in whatever place you hear
the sound of the [2>]shofar[<2], resort you there to us; our God will
fight for us. {4:21} So we worked in the work: and half of them held
the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
{4:22} Likewise at the same time said I to the people, Let everyone
with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, that in the night they may
be a guard to us, and may labor in the day. {4:23} So neither I, nor
my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed
me, none of us put off our clothes, everyone [went with] his weapon
[to] the water.
{5:1} Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives
against their brothers the Yehudim. {5:2} For there were that said,
We, our sons and our daughters, are many: let us get grain, that we
may eat and live. {5:3} Some also there were that said, We are
mortgaging our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses: let us get
grain, because of the dearth. {5:4} There were also that said, We have
borrowed money for the king's tribute [on] our fields and our
vineyards. {5:5} Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers,
our children as their children: and, behold, we bring into bondage our
sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are
brought into bondage [already]: neither is it in our power to help it;
for other men have our fields and our vineyards. {5:6} I was very
angry when I heard their cry and these words. {5:7} Then I consulted
with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to
them, You exact usury, everyone of his brother. I held a great
assembly against them. {5:8} I said to them, We after our ability have
redeemed our brothers the Yehudim, that were sold to the nations; and
would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us? Then
held they their shalom, and found never a word. {5:9} Also I said, The
thing that you do is not good: ought you not to walk in the fear of
our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies? {5:10} I
likewise, my brothers and my servants, do lend them money and grain.
Please let us leave off this usury. {5:11} Please restore to them,
even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and
their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the grain,
the new wine, and the oil, that you exact of them. {5:12} Then said
they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will
we do, even as you say. Then I called the [1>]Kohanim[<1], and took an
oath of them, that they would do according to this promise. {5:13}
Also I shook out my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his
house, and from his labor, that doesn't perform this promise; even
thus be he shaken out, and emptied. All the assembly said, Amein, and
praised the LORD. The people did according to this promise. {5:14}
Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in
the land of Yehudah, from the twentieth year even to the two and
thirtieth year of Artachshasta the king, [that is], twelve years, I
and my brothers have not eaten the bread of the governor. {5:15} But
the former governors who were before me were chargeable to the people,
and took of them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver; yes,
even their servants bore rule over the people: but I didn't do so,
because of the fear of God. {5:16} Yes, also I continued in the work
of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were
gathered there to the work. {5:17} Moreover there were at my table, of
the Yehudim and the rulers, one hundred fifty men, besides those who
came to us from among the nations that were round about us. {5:18} Now
that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep;
also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all
sorts of wine: yet for all this I didn't demand the bread of the
governor, because the bondage was heavy on this people. {5:19}
Remember to me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
{6:1} Now it happened, when it was reported to Sanvallat and
Toviyah, and to Geshem the `Arvian, and to the rest of our enemies,
that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;
(though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)
{6:2} that Sanvallat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet
together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they
thought to do me mischief. {6:3} I sent messengers to them, saying, I
am doing a great work, so that I can't come down: why should the work
cease, while I leave it, and come down to you? {6:4} They sent to me
four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
{6:5} Then sent Sanvallat his servant to me in like manner the fifth
time with an open letter in his hand, {6:6} in which was written, It
is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the
Yehudim think to rebel; for which cause you are building the wall: and
you would be their king, according to these words. {6:7} You have also
appointed prophets to preach of you at Yerushalayim, saying, There is
a king in Yehudah: and now shall it be reported to the king according
to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
{6:8} Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as you
say, but you feign them out of your own heart. {6:9} For they all
would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from
the work, that it not be done. But now, [God], strengthen you my
hands. {6:10} I went to the house of Shemayah the son of Delayah the
son of Mehetav'el, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together
in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of
the temple: for they will come to kill you; yes, in the night will
they come to kill you. {6:11} I said, Should such a man as I flee? and
who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save
his life? I will not go in. {6:12} I discerned, and, behold, God had
not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Toviyah
and Sanvallat had hired him. {6:13} For this cause was he hired, that
I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have
matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. {6:14}
Remember, my God, Toviyah and Sanvallat according to these their
works, and also the prophetess No`adyah, and the rest of the prophets,
that would have put me in fear. {6:15} So the wall was finished in the
twenty-fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days. {6:16} It
happened, when all our enemies heard [of it], that all the nations
that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes;
for they perceived that this work was worked of our God. {6:17}
Moreover in those days the nobles of Yehudah sent many letters to
Toviyah, and [the letters] of Toviyah came to them. {6:18} For there
were many in Yehudah sworn to him, because he was the son-in-law of
Shekhanyahu the son of Arach; and his son Yehochanan had taken the
daughter of Meshullam the son of Berekhyah as wife. {6:19} Also they
spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him.
Toviyah sent letters to put me in fear.
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Footnotes:
[1] {4:18} trumpet
[2] {4:20} trumpet
[1] {5:12} priests
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