1
Now, Sanballat, hearing that we were building the wall, was very angry, and in his wrath made sport of the Jews.
2
And in the hearing of his countrymen and the army of Samaria he said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they make themselves strong? will they make offerings? will they get the work done in a day? will they make the stones which have been burned come again out of the dust?
3
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Such is their building that if a fox goes up it, their stone wall will be broken down.
4
Give ear, O our God, for we are looked down on: let their words of shame be turned back on themselves, and let them be given up to wasting in a land where they are prisoners:
5
Let not their wrongdoing be covered or their sin washed away from before you: for they have made you angry before the builders.
6
So we went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined together half-way up: for the people were working hard.
7
But when it came to the ears of Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites, that the building of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the broken places were being made good, they were full of wrath;
8
And they made designs, all of them together, to come and make an attack on Jerusalem, causing trouble there.
9
But we made our prayer to God, and had men on watch against them day and night because of them.