1But it came to pass that, when Sanvalat, and Tov-Yah, and the Ar’vim, and the Amoni, and the Ashdodim, heard that the repairing of the walls of Yerushalayim went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth; 2and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Yerushalayim, and to cause confusion therein. 3But we made our prayer unto our Elohim, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 4And Yehudah 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.” 5And 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.” 6And it came to pass that, when the Yehudim that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, “You must return unto us from all places.” 7Therefore I set 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. 8And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Be not afraid of them; remember Adonai, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
9And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and Elohim had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. 10And 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 Yehudah. 11They that built the wall and they that bore burdens ladened themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon; 12and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so they built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me. 13And 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; 14in whatever place you hear the sound of the shofar, resort there unto us; our Elohim will fight for us.” 15So we wrought in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 16Likewise at the same time I said unto the people, “Let every one with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.” 17So 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.
אוַיְהִי כַאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע סַנְבַלַּט וְטוֹבִיָּה וְהָעַרְבִים וְהָעַמֹּנִים וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִים כִּי עָלְתָה אֲרוּכָה לְחֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם כִּי הֵחֵלּוּ הַפְּרֻצִים לְהִסָּתֵם; וַיִּחַר לָהֶם מְאֹד. בוַיִּקְשְׁרוּ כֻלָּם יַחְדָּו לָבוֹא לְהִלָּחֵם בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ תּוֹעָה. גוַנִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל אֱלֹהֵינוּ; וַנַּעֲמִיד מִשְׁמָר עֲלֵיהֶם יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה מִפְּנֵיהֶם. דוַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה כָּשַׁל כֹּחַ הַסַּבָּל וְהֶעָפָר הַרְבֵּה; וַאֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נוּכַל לִבְנוֹת בַּחוֹמָה. הוַיֹּאמְרוּ צָרֵינוּ לֹא יֵדְעוּ וְלֹא יִרְאוּ עַד אֲשֶׁר נָבוֹא אֶל תּוֹכָם וַהֲרַגְנוּם; וְהִשְׁבַּתְנוּ אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה. ווַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים אֶצְלָם; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לָנוּ עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים מִכָּל הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר תָּשׁוּבוּ עָלֵינוּ. זוָאַעֲמִיד מִתַּחְתְּיוֹת לַמָּקוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי לַחוֹמָה בצחחיים (בַּצְּחִחִים); וָאַעֲמִיד אֶת הָעָם לְמִשְׁפָּחוֹת עִם חַרְבֹתֵיהֶם רָמְחֵיהֶם וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶם. חוָאֵרֶא וָאָקוּם וָאֹמַר אֶל הַחֹרִים וְאֶל הַסְּגָנִים וְאֶל יֶתֶר הָעָם אַל תִּירְאוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם: אֶת אֲדֹנָי הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא זְכֹרוּ וְהִלָּחֲמוּ עַל אֲחֵיכֶם בְּנֵיכֶם וּבְנֹתֵיכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וּבָתֵּיכֶם.
טוַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אוֹיְבֵינוּ כִּי נוֹדַע לָנוּ וַיָּפֶר הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת עֲצָתָם; ונשוב (וַנָּשָׁב) כֻּלָּנוּ אֶל הַחוֹמָה אִישׁ אֶל מְלַאכְתּוֹ. יוַיְהִי מִן הַיּוֹם הַהוּא חֲצִי נְעָרַי עֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה וְחֶצְיָם מַחֲזִיקִים וְהָרְמָחִים הַמָּגִנִּים וְהַקְּשָׁתוֹת וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִים; וְהַשָּׂרִים אַחֲרֵי כָּל בֵּית יְהוּדָה. יאהַבּוֹנִים בַּחוֹמָה וְהַנֹּשְׂאִים בַּסֶּבֶל עֹמְשִׂים; בְּאַחַת יָדוֹ עֹשֶׂה בַמְּלָאכָה וְאַחַת מַחֲזֶקֶת הַשָּׁלַח. יבוְהַבּוֹנִים אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ אֲסוּרִים עַל מָתְנָיו וּבוֹנִים; וְהַתּוֹקֵעַ בַּשּׁוֹפָר אֶצְלִי. יגוָאֹמַר אֶל הַחֹרִים וְאֶל הַסְּגָנִים וְאֶל יֶתֶר הָעָם הַמְּלָאכָה הַרְבֵּה וּרְחָבָה; וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִפְרָדִים עַל הַחוֹמָה רְחוֹקִים אִישׁ מֵאָחִיו. ידבִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר שָׁמָּה תִּקָּבְצוּ אֵלֵינוּ; אֱלֹהֵינוּ יִלָּחֶם לָנוּ. טווַאֲנַחְנוּ עֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה; וְחֶצְיָם מַחֲזִיקִים בָּרְמָחִים מֵעֲלוֹת הַשַּׁחַר עַד צֵאת הַכּוֹכָבִים. טזגַּם בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָמַרְתִּי לָעָם אִישׁ וְנַעֲרוֹ יָלִינוּ בְּתוֹךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם; וְהָיוּ לָנוּ הַלַּיְלָה מִשְׁמָר וְהַיּוֹם מְלָאכָה. יזוְאֵין אֲנִי וְאַחַי וּנְעָרַי וְאַנְשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁמָר אֲשֶׁר אַחֲרַי אֵין אֲנַחְנוּ פֹשְׁטִים בְּגָדֵינוּ; אִישׁ שִׁלְחוֹ הַמָּיִם.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 