(KJV) Nehemiah 4¹

⥃The Work Ridiculed

[1] But it came to pass, that when Sanballat² heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked³ the Jews. [2] And he spake before his brethren and the army⁴ of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble⁵ Jews? will they fortify themselves⁶? will they sacrifice⁷? will they make an end in a day? will they revive⁸ the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? [3] Now Tobiah⁹ 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. [4] Hear¹⁰, O our God; for we are despised¹¹: and turn¹² their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: [5] And cover not¹³ their iniquity, and let not their sin¹⁴ be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked [thee] to anger before the builders¹⁵. [6] So built we the wall; and all the wall¹⁶ was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people¹⁷ had a mind¹⁸ to work.

[7] But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat¹⁹, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites²⁰, and the Ashdodites²¹, heard²² that the walls of Jerusalem were made up²³, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then²⁴ they were very wroth, [8] And conspired all²⁵ of them together to come [and] to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it²⁶.

⥃Discouragement Overcome

[9] Nevertheless²⁷ we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch²⁸ against them day and night, because of them. [10] And Judah said, The strength²⁹ of the bearers³⁰ of burdens is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. [11] And our adversaries said, They shall not³¹ know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. [12] And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times³², From all places³³ whence ye shall return³⁴ unto us [they will be upon you].

[13] [¶]Therefore³⁵ set I in the lower places³⁶ behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their 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: remember³⁷ the Lord, [which is] great³⁸ and terrible, and fight³⁹ for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.⁴⁰ [15] And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God⁴¹ had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one⁴² unto his work. [16] And it came to pass from that time forth, [that] the half of my servants⁴³ wrought in the work, and the other half⁴⁴ of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons⁴⁵; and the rulers [were] behind all the house of Judah. [17] They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens⁴⁶, with those that laded, [every one⁴⁷] with one⁴⁸ of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other [hand] held a weapon. [18] For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side⁴⁹, and [so] builded. And he that sounded⁵⁰ the trumpet [was] by 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. [20] In what place [therefore] ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God⁵¹ shall fight for us. [21] So we⁵² laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. [22] Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one⁵³ with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. [23] So neither I⁵⁴, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, [saving that⁵⁵] every one put them off for washing.