Nehemiah 4

vayehi kha'asher shama sanvallat vetoviyyah veha'arvim veha'ammonim veha'ashdodim ki-aletah arukhah lekhomot yerushalai͏m ki-hekhellu happerutsim lehissatem vayyikhar lahem me'od

When Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that healing had come to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breached parts had begun to be filled, it angered them very much,

vayyiqsheru khullam yakhdav lavo lehillakhem birushalai͏m vela'asot lo to'ah

and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to throw it into confusion.

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

Because of them we prayed to our God, and set up a watch over the workers day and night.

vayyomer yehudah kashal koakh hassabbal vehe'afar harbeh va'anakhnu lo nukhal livnot bakhomah

Judah was saying, “The strength of the basket-carrier has failed, And there is so much rubble; We are not able ourselves To rebuild the wall.”

vayyomeru tsarenu lo yede'u velo yiru ad asher-navo el-tokham vaharagnum vehishbatnu et-hammelakhah

And our foes were saying, “Before they know or see it, we shall be in among them and kill them, and put a stop to the work.”

vayehi ka'asher-ba'u hayyehudim hayyoshevim etslam vayyomeru lanu eser pe'amim mikkol-hammeqomot asher-tashuvu alenu

When the Jews living near those foes would arrive, they would tell us time and again [about some plot they had learned of; and we would say to them,] “From all the places where [you get such information] you shall come back to us [and convey it].”

va'a'amid mittakhteyot lammaqom me'akhare lakhomah (vtskhkhyym) [batsekhikhim] va'a'amid et-ha'am lemishpakhot im-kharvotehem romkhehem veqashetotehem

I stationed, on the lower levels of the place, behind the walls, on the bare rock—I stationed the people by families with their swords, their lances, and their bows.

va'ere va'aqum va'omar el-hakhorim ve'el-hasseganim ve'el-yeter ha'am al-tire'u mippenehem et-adonay haggadol vehannora zekhoru vehillakhamu al-akhekhem benekhem uvenotekhem neshekhem uvattekhem

Then I decided to exhort the nobles, the prefects, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them! Think of the great and awesome Sovereign, and fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes!”

vayehi ka'asher-shame'u oyevenu ki-noda lanu vayyafer ha'elohim et-atsatam (vnshvv) [vannashov] kullanu el-hakhomah ish el-melakhto

When our enemies learned that it had become known to us, since God had thus frustrated their plan, we could all return to the wall, each to his work.

vayehi min-hayyom hahu khatsi ne'aray osim bammelakhah vekhetsyam makhaziqim veharemakhim hammaginnim vehaqqeshatot vehashiryonim vehassarim akhare kol-bet yehudah

From that day on, half my servants did work and half held lances and shields, bows and armor. And the officers stood behind the whole house of Judah

habbonim bakhomah vehannose'im bassevel omesim be'akhat yado oseh vammelakhah ve'akhat makhazeqet hashalakh

who were rebuilding the wall. The basket-carriers were burdened, doing work with one hand while the other held a weapon.

vehabbonim ish kharbo asurim al-motnayw uvonim vehattoqea bashofar etsli

As for the builders, each had his sword girded at his side as he was building. The trumpeter stood beside me.

va'omar el-hakhorim ve'el-hasseganim ve'el-yeter ha'am hammelakhah harbeh urekhavah va'anakhnu nifradim al-hakhomah rekhoqim ish me'akhiv

I said to the nobles, the prefects, and the rest of the people, “There is much work and it is spread out; we are scattered over the wall, far from one another.

bimqom asher tishme'u et-qol hashofar shammah tiqqavetsu elenu elohenu yillakhem lanu

When you hear a trumpet call, gather yourselves to me at that place; our God will fight for us!”

va'anakhnu osim bammelakhah vekhetsyam makhaziqim baremakhim me'alot hashakhar ad tset hakkokhavim

And so we worked on, while half were holding lances, from the break of day until the stars appeared.

gam ba'et hahi amarti la'am ish vena'aro yalinu betokh yerushalai͏m vehayu-lanu hallaylah mishmar vehayyom melakhah

I further said to the people at that time, “Let each of you lodge in Jerusalem with your servant, so that we can use the night to stand guard and the day to work.”

ve'en ani ve'akhay une'aray ve'anshe hammishmar asher akharay en-anakhnu foshetim begadenu ish shilkho hammayim

Nor did I, my brothers, my servants, or the guards following me ever take off our clothes, [or] each his weapon, even at the water.