Opposition mounts
1 When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became angry and raged. He mocked the Jews,
2
saying in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria: "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the piles of rubble, even though they are burned?"
3
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, added: "If even a fox climbs on whatever they build, their wall of stones will crumble."
4
Listen, God; we are despised! Turn their insults to us back on their heads and make them like plunder in a captive land.
5
Don't forgive their iniquity or blot out their sins from your sight. They have thrown insults at the builders!
6
We continued to build the wall. All of it was joined together, and it reached half of its intended height because the people were eager to work.
7
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the work on the walls was progressing and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
8
They plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it.
9
So we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night.
10
But in Judah it was said, "The carrier's strength is failing, for there is too much rubble. We are unable to rebuild the wall!"
11
Meanwhile, our enemies were saying: "Before they know or see anything, we can be in their midst and start to kill them. We'll stop the work!"
12
Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again,"You must return to us!"