10.유다 사람들은 이르기를 흙 무더기가 아직도 많거늘 짐을 나르는 자의 힘이 다 빠졌으니 우리가 성을 건축하지 못하리라 하고
11.우리의 원수들은 이르기를 그들이 알지 못하고 보지 못하는 사이에 우리가 그들 가운데 달려 들어가서 살륙하여 역사를 그치게 하리라 하고
12.그 원수들의 근처에 거주하는 유다 사람들도 그 각처에서 와서 열 번이나 우리에게 말하기를 너희가 우리에게로 와야 하리라 하기로
13.내가 성벽 뒤의 낮고 넓은 곳에 백성이 그들의 종족을 따라 칼과 창과 활을 가지고 서 있게 하고
14.내가 돌아본 후에 일어나서 귀족들과 민장들과 남은 백성에게 말하기를 너희는 그들을 두려워하지 말고 지극히 크시고 두려우신 주를 기억하고 너희 형제와 자녀와 아내와 집을 위하여 싸우라 하였느니라
1.When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,
2.and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?"
3.Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"
4.Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
5.Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6.So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7.But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.
8.They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
9.But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10.Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
11.Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."
12.Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
13.Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
14.After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and 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 and your daughters, your wives and your homes."