| 4 |
1.
But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall,
that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
2. And he spoke before his brethren and
the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing?
Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete
it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish stones
that are burned?''
3. Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside
him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on
it, he will break down their stone wall.''
4. Hear, O our God, for we are despised;
turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a
land of captivity!
5. Do not cover their iniquity, and do
not 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 the entire
wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind
to work.
7. Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah,
the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem
were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they
became very angry,
8. and all of them conspired together
to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.
9. Nevertheless we made our prayer to
our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
10. Then Judah said, "The strength
of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not
able to build the wall.''
11. And our adversaries said, "They
will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and
kill them and cause the work to cease.''
12. So it was, when the Jews who dwelt
near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place
you turn, they will be upon us.''
13. Therefore I positioned men behind
the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according
to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14. And I looked, and arose and said
to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do
not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight
for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.''
15. And it happened, when our enemies
heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their counsel
to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16. So it was, from that time on, that
half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held
the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were
behind all the house of Judah.
17. Those who built on the wall, and
those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they
worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon.
18. Every one of the builders had his
sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet
was beside me.
19. Then I said to the nobles, the rulers,
and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and
we are separated far from one another on the wall.
20. "Therefore, wherever you hear
the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.''
21. So we labored in the work, and half
of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.
22. At the same time I also said to the
people, "Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem,
that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day.''
23. So neither I, my brethren, my servants,
nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except
that everyone took them off for washing. |
| 8:1-8 |
1.
"Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square
that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to
bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.
2. So Ezra the priest brought the Law
before the congregation, of men and women and all who could hear with
understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
3. Then he read from it in the open square
that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before
the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all
the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform
of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right
hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah;
and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana,
Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight
of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when
he opened it, all the people stood up."
6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great
God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!'' while lifting up
their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their
faces to the ground.
7. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan,
Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and
the people stood in their place.
8. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they
gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading." |