Nehemiah 4:1-9 ▼

1 And it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he became hot and he became greatly angry, and he mocked at the Jews.

2 And he spoke before the face of his brothers and the force 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 the rubble—and they are burned?”

3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Even whatever they are building, if a fox goes up on it, it will break down the wall of their stones.”

4 Hear, our God, for we are despised! And turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as spoil to a land of captivity.

5 And do not cover over their iniquity; and their sin, do not let it be blotted out from before You, for they have provoked anger in front of the builders.

6 And we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together up to half of it, for the people had a mind to work.

7 And it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair was progressing to the walls of Jerusalem and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very hot.

8 And all of them conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem, and to do to it injury.

9 And we made our prayer to our God, and we set a watch against them, day and night, against their faces.