Nehemiah 4 נְחֶמְיָה

Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917

¹וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע סַנְבַלַּ֡ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וְהָעַרְבִ֨ים וְהָעַמֹּנִ֜ים וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֗ים כִּֽי־עָלְתָ֤ה אֲרוּכָה֙ לְחֹמ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כִּי־הֵחֵ֥לּוּ הַפְּרֻצִ֖ים לְהִסָּתֵ֑ם וַיִּ֥חַר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃

vayhi kha'asher shama' sanvallat vetoviyya veha'arvim veha'ammonim veha'ashdodim ki-alta arukha lechomot yerushalam ki-hechellu happerutzim lehissatem vayyichar lahem me'od

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and 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 wroth;

²וַיִּקְשְׁר֤וּ כֻלָּם֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו לָב֖וֹא לְהִלָּחֵ֣ם בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת ל֖וֹ תּוֹעָֽה׃

vayyiksheru khullam yachdav lavo lehillachem birushalam vela'asot lo to'a

and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

³וַנִּתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַנַּעֲמִ֨יד מִשְׁמָ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם יוֹמָ֥ם וָלַ֖יְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃

vannitpallel el-elohenu vanna'amid mishmar alehem yomam valayla mippenehem

But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

⁴וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה כָּשַׁל֙ כֹּ֣חַ הַסַּבָּ֔ל וְהֶעָפָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֑ה וַאֲנַ֨חְנוּ֙ לֹ֣א נוּכַ֔ל לִבְנ֖וֹת בַּחוֹמָֽה׃

vayyomer yehuda kashal koach hassabbal vehe'afar harbe va'anachnu lo nukhal livnot bachoma

And 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.’

⁵וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ צָרֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א יֵדְעוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִרְא֔וּ עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־נָב֥וֹא אֶל־תּוֹכָ֖ם וַהֲרַגְנ֑וּם וְהִשְׁבַּ֖תְנוּ אֶת־הַמְּלָאכָֽה׃

vayyomru tzarenu lo yed'u velo yiru ad asher-navo el-tokham vaharagnum vehishbatnu et-hammelakha

And our adversaries said: ‘They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.’

⁶וַֽיְהִי֙ כַּאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֣אוּ הַיְּהוּדִ֔ים הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים אֶצְלָ֑ם וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לָ֨נוּ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּעָמִ֔ים מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁר־תָּשׁ֥וּבוּ עָלֵֽינוּ׃

vayhi ka'asher-bau hayyehudim hayyoshvim etzlam vayyomru lanu eser pe'amim mikkal-hammekomot asher-tashuvu alenu

And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times: ‘Ye must return unto us from all places.’

⁷וָֽאַעֲמִ֞יד מִֽתַּחְתִּיּ֧וֹת לַמָּק֛וֹם מֵאַחֲרֵ֥י לַחוֹמָ֖ה בצחחיים [בַּצְּחִיחִ֑ים] וָֽאַעֲמִ֤יד אֶת־הָעָם֙ לְמִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת עִם־חַרְבֹתֵיהֶ֛ם רָמְחֵיהֶ֖ם וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

va'a'amid mittachtiyyot lammakom me'achare lachoma batzechichim va'a'amid et-ha'am lemishpachot im-charvotehem ramchehem vekashetotehem

Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

⁸וָאֵ֣רֶא וָאָק֗וּם וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם אֶת־אֲדֹנָ֞י הַגָּד֤וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ זְכֹ֔רוּ וְהִֽלָּחֲמ֗וּ עַל־אֲחֵיכֶם֙ בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֔ם נְשֵׁיכֶ֖ם וּבָתֵּיכֶֽם׃

va'ere va'akum va'omar el-hachorim ve'el-hasseganim ve'el-yeter ha'am al-tiru mippenehem et-adonay haggadol vehannora zekhoru vehillachamu al-achekhem benekhem uvenotekhem neshekhem uvattekhem

And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people: ‘Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, who is great and awful, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.’

⁹וַיְהִ֞י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְע֤וּ אוֹיְבֵ֨ינוּ֙ כִּי־נ֣וֹדַֽע לָ֔נוּ וַיָּ֥פֶר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־עֲצָתָ֑ם ונשוב [וַנָּ֤שָׁב] כֻּלָּ֨נוּ֙ אֶל־הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃

vayhi ka'asher-sham'u oyvenu ki-noda' lanu vayyafer ha'elohim et-atzatam vannashav kullanu el-hachoma ish el-melakhto

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

¹⁰וַיְהִ֣י ׀ מִן־הַיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא חֲצִ֣י נְעָרַי֮ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָה֒ וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ וְהָרְמָחִ֣ים הַמָּגִנִּ֔ים וְהַקְּשָׁת֖וֹת וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִ֑ים וְהַ֨שָּׂרִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃

vayhi min-hayyom hahu chatzi ne'aray osim bammelakha vechetzyam machazikim veharmachim hammaginnim vehakkeshatot vehashiryonim vehassarim achare kal-bet yehuda

And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

¹¹הַבּוֹנִ֧ים בַּחוֹמָ֛ה וְהַנֹּשְׂאִ֥ים בַּסֶּ֖בֶל עֹמְשִׂ֑ים בְּאַחַ֤ת יָדוֹ֙ עֹשֶׂ֣ה בַמְּלָאכָ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ת מַחֲזֶ֥קֶת הַשָּֽׁלַח׃

habbonim bachoma vehannos'im bassevel omsim be'achat yado ose vammelakha ve'achat machazeket hashalach

They that builded the wall and they that bore burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

¹²וְהַ֨בּוֹנִ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ חַרְבּ֛וֹ אֲסוּרִ֥ים עַל־מָתְנָ֖יו וּבוֹנִ֑ים וְהַתּוֹקֵ֥עַ בַּשּׁוֹפָ֖ר אֶצְלִֽי׃

vehabbonim ish charbo asurim al-matnav uvonim vehattokea bashofar etzli

and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the horn was by me.

¹³וָאֹמַ֞ר אֶל־הַחֹרִ֤ים וְאֶל־הַסְּגָנִים֙ וְאֶל־יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַרְבֵּ֖ה וּרְחָבָ֑ה וַאֲנַ֗חְנוּ נִפְרָדִים֙ עַל־הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה רְחוֹקִ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ מֵאָחִֽיו׃

va'omar el-hachorim ve'el-hasseganim ve'el-yeter ha'am hammelakha harbe urechava va'anachnu nifradim al-hachoma rechokim ish me'achiv

And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people: ‘The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another;

¹⁴בִּמְק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַשּׁוֹפָ֔ר שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקָּבְצ֣וּ אֵלֵ֑ינוּ אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יִלָּ֥חֶם לָֽנוּ׃

bimkom asher tishme'u et-kol hashofar shamma tikkavtzu elenu elohenu yillachem lanu

in what place soever ye hear the sound of the horn, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.’

¹⁵וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּמְּלָאכָ֑ה וְחֶצְיָ֗ם מַחֲזִיקִים֙ בָּֽרְמָחִ֔ים מֵעֲל֣וֹת הַשַּׁ֔חַר עַ֖ד צֵ֥את הַכּוֹכָבִֽים׃

va'anachnu osim bammelakha vechetzyam machazikim barmachim me'alot hashachar ad tzet hakkokhavim

So we wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

¹⁶גַּ֣ם בָּעֵ֤ת הַהִיא֙ אָמַ֣רְתִּי לָעָ֔ם אִ֣ישׁ וְנַעֲר֔וֹ יָלִ֖ינוּ בְּת֣וֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וְהָֽיוּ־לָ֧נוּ הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִשְׁמָ֖ר וְהַיּ֥וֹם מְלָאכָֽה׃

gam ba'et hahi amarti la'am ish vena'aro yalinu betokh yerushalam vehayu-lanu hallayla mishmar vehayyom melakha

Likewise at the same time said I unto the people: ‘Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labour in the day.’

¹⁷וְאֵ֨ין אֲנִ֜י וְאַחַ֣י וּנְעָרַ֗י וְאַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמִּשְׁמָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַחֲרַ֔י אֵין־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ פֹשְׁטִ֖ים בְּגָדֵ֑ינוּ אִ֖ישׁ שִׁלְח֥וֹ הַמָּֽיִם׃

ve'en ani ve'achay une'aray ve'anshe hammishmar asher acharay en-anachnu foshtim begadenu ish shilcho hammayim

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, every one that went to the water had his weapon.

World Messianic Bible (English numbering)

¹But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.

²He 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 finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”

³Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”

⁴“Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity.

⁵Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”

⁶So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

⁷But 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 filled, they were very angry;

⁸and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.

⁹But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.

¹⁰Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”

¹¹Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”

¹²When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

¹⁴I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

¹⁵When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

¹⁶From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

¹⁷Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.

¹⁸Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the shofar was by me.

¹⁹I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

²⁰Wherever you hear the sound of the shofar, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

²¹So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

²²Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”

²³So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.

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Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (ketiv shown with the qere in brackets). JPS 1917 and the Hebrew use Hebrew verse numbers; the English column uses English numbering, which sometimes differs by a verse.

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Nehemiah 4 נְחֶמְיָה

Hebrew · transliteration · JPS 1917

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