1
But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews 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?
3
Now Tobiah 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
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;
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.
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.
7
But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry;
8
and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
9
But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10
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.