Study Desk

^(F1)Now it came about that when ^(C1)Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry, and he mocked the Jews.

And he spoke in the presence of his brothers and ^(C1)the ^(F1)wealthy people of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore the temple for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in a day? Can they revive the stones from the ^(C2)heaps of rubble, even the burned ones?"

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, "Even what they are building—^(C1)if a fox were to ^(F1)jump on it, it would break their stone wall down!"

^(C1)Hear, O our God, how we are an object of contempt! ^(C2)Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity.

Do not ^(F1)(C1)forgive their guilt and do not let their sin be wiped out before You, for they have ^(F2)demoralized the builders.

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a ^(F1)mind to work.

^(F1)Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the ^(F2)repair of the walls of Jerusalem went ^(F3)on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

So all of them ^(C1)conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.

But we prayed to our God, and because of them we ^(C1)set up a guard against them day and night.

And so ^(F1)in Judah it was said: "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubble; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall."

And our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work."

When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "^(F1)They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,"

then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I ^(C1)stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.

When I saw their fear, I stood and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "^(C1)Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and ^(C2)fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."