◄ Nehemiah 4 ►
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1Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and was filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews 1וַיְהִ֞י כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֗ט כִּֽי־ אֲנַ֤חְנוּ בוֹנִים֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וַיִּ֣חַר ל֔וֹ וַיִּכְעַ֖ס הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַיַּלְעֵ֖ג עַל־ הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃
2before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore [the wall] by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” 2וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י אֶחָ֗יו וְחֵיל֙ שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מָ֛ה הַיְּהוּדִ֥ים הָאֲמֵלָלִ֖ים עֹשִׂ֑ים הֲיַעַזְב֨וּ לָהֶ֤ם הֲיִזְבָּ֙חוּ֙ הַיְכַלּ֣וּ בַיּ֔וֹם הַיְחַיּ֧וּ אֶת־ הָאֲבָנִ֛ים מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת הֶעָפָ֖ר וְהֵ֥מָּה שְׂרוּפֽוֹת׃
3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 3וְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה הָעַמֹּנִ֖י אֶצְל֑וֹ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר גַּ֚ם אֲשֶׁר־ הֵ֣ם בּוֹנִ֔ים אִם־ יַעֲלֶ֣ה שׁוּעָ֔ל וּפָרַ֖ץ חוֹמַ֥ת אַבְנֵיהֶֽם׃ פ
4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 4שְׁמַ֤ע אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּֽי־ הָיִ֣ינוּ בוּזָ֔ה וְהָשֵׁ֥ב חֶרְפָּתָ֖ם אֶל־ רֹאשָׁ֑ם וּתְנֵ֥ם לְבִזָּ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁבְיָֽה׃
5Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders. 5וְאַל־ תְּכַס֙ עַל־ עֲוֺנָ֔ם וְחַטָּאתָ֖ם מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ אַל־ תִּמָּחֶ֑ה כִּ֥י הִכְעִ֖יסוּ לְנֶ֥גֶד הַבּוֹנִֽים׃
6So we rebuilt the wall until all [of it] was joined together up to half its [height], for the people had a mind to work. 6וַנִּבְנֶה֙ אֶת־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וַתִּקָּשֵׁ֥ר כָּל־ הַחוֹמָ֖ה עַד־ חֶצְיָ֑הּ וַיְהִ֧י לֵ֦ב לָעָ֖ם לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ פ
7When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious, 7וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֡ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וְהָעַרְבִ֨ים וְהָעַמֹּנִ֜ים וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֗ים כִּֽי־ עָלְתָ֤ה אֲרוּכָה֙ לְחֹמ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כִּי־ הֵחֵ֥לּוּ הַפְּרֻצִ֖ים לְהִסָּתֵ֑ם וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃
8and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance. 8וַיִּקְשְׁר֤וּ כֻלָּם֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו לָב֖וֹא לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ תּוֹעָֽה׃
9So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night. 9וַנִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־ אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּעֲמִ֨יד מִשְׁמָ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
10Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.” 10וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה כָּשַׁל֙ כֹּ֣חַ הַסַּבָּ֔ל וְהֶעָפָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַאֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ לֹ֣א נוּכַ֔ל לִבְנ֖וֹת בַּחוֹמָֽה׃
11And our enemies said, “Before they know [or] see [a thing], we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.” 11וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ צָרֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א יֵדְעוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִרְא֔וּ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־ נָב֥וֹא אֶל־ תּוֹכָ֖ם וַהֲרַגְנ֑וּם וְהִשְׁבַּ֖תְנוּ אֶת־ הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃
12At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times [over], “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” 12וַֽיְהִי֙ כַּאֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֣אוּ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לָ֙נוּ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּעָמִ֔ים מִכָּל־ הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־ תָּשׁ֥וּבוּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃
13So I stationed [men] behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 13וָֽאַעֲמִ֞יד מִֽתַּחְתִּיּ֧וֹת לַמָּק֛וֹם מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י לַחוֹמָ֖ה [בצחחיים] (בַּצְּחִיחִ֑ים) וָֽאַעֲמִ֤יד אֶת־ הָעָם֙ לְמִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת עִם־ חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֛ם רָמְחֵיהֶ֖ם וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
14After I had made an inspection, 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 your daughters, your wives and your homes.” 14וָאֵ֣רֶא וָאָק֗וּם וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־ הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם אַל־ תִּֽירְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־ אֲדֹנָ֞י הַגָּד֤וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ זְכֹ֔רוּ וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּ עַל־ אֲחֵיכֶם֙ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃ פ
15When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall. 15וַיְהִ֞י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ שָׁמְע֤וּ אוֹיְבֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּי־ נ֣וֹדַֽע לָ֔נוּ וַיָּ֥פֶר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־ עֲצָתָ֑ם [ונשוב] (וַנָּ֤שָׁב) כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־ מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃
16And from that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers [stationed themselves] behind all the people of Judah 16וַיְהִ֣י ׀ מִן־ הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא חֲצִ֣י נְעָרַי֮ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָה֒ וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ וְהָרְמָחִ֣ים הַמָּגִנִּ֔ים וְהַקְּשָׁת֖וֹת וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים וְהַ֨שָּׂרִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־ בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃
17who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 17הַבּוֹנִ֧ים בַּחוֹמָ֛ה וְהַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים בַּסֶּ֖בֶל עֹמְשִׂ֑ים בְּאַחַ֤ת יָדוֹ֙ עֹשֶׂ֣ה בַמְּלָאכָ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ת מַחֲזֶ֥קֶת הַשָּֽׁלַח׃
18And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me. 18וְהַ֨בּוֹנִ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ חַרְבּ֛וֹ אֲסוּרִ֥ים עַל־ מָתְנָ֖יו וּבוֹנִ֑ים וְהַתּוֹקֵ֥עַ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר אֶצְלִֽי׃
19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work [is] great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall. 19וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־ הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־ הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה וּרְחָבָ֑ה וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ נִפְרָדִים֙ עַל־ הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה רְחוֹקִ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ מֵאָחִֽיו׃
20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!” 20בִּמְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־ ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקָּבְצ֣וּ אֵלֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יִלָּ֥חֶם לָֽנוּ׃
21So we continued the work, while half of [the men] held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 21וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים מֵעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר עַ֖ד צֵ֥את הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃
22At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.” 22גַּ֣ם בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָעָ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ וְנַעֲר֔וֹ יָלִ֖ינוּ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהָֽיוּ־ לָ֧נוּ הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִשְׁמָ֖ר וְהַיּ֥וֹם מְלָאכָֽה׃
23So neither I nor brothers nor my men nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, [even to go] for water. 23וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־ אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃ ס
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Nehemiah 3
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