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1. When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, even furious. He made fun of the Jewish people.
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1. But it came to pass H1961 , that when H834 Sanballat H5571 heard H8085 that H3588 we H587 built H1129 H853 the wall H2346 , he was wroth H2734 , and took great indignation H7235 H3707 , and mocked H3932 H5921 the Jews H3064 .
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2. He said to his friends and those with power in Samaria, "What are these weak Jews doing? Will they rebuild the wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in one day? Can they bring stones back to life from piles of trash and ashes?"
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2. And he spoke H559 before H6440 his brethren H251 and the army H2428 of Samaria H8111 , and said H559 , What H4100 do H6213 these feeble H537 Jews H3064 ? will they fortify H5800 themselves? will they sacrifice H2076 ? will they make an end H3615 in a day H3117 ? will they revive H2421 H853 the stones H68 out of the heaps H4480 H6194 of the rubbish H6083 which H1992 are burned H8313 ?
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3. Tobiah the Ammonite, who was next to Sanballat, said, "If a fox climbed up on the stone wall they are building, it would break it down."
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3. Now Tobiah H2900 the Ammonite H5984 was by H681 him , and he said H559 , Even H1571 that which H834 they H1992 build H1129 , if H518 a fox H7776 go up H5927 , he shall even break down H6555 their stone H68 wall H2346 .
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4. I prayed, "Hear us, our God. We are hated. Turn the insults of Sanballat and Tobiah back on their own heads. Let them be captured and stolen like valuables.
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4. Hear H8085 , O our God H430 ; for H3588 we are H1961 despised H939 : and turn H7725 their reproach H2781 upon H413 their own head H7218 , and give H5414 them for a prey H961 in the land H776 of captivity H7633 :
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5. Do not hide their guilt or take away their sins so that you can't see them, because they have insulted the builders."
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5. And cover H3680 H5921 not H408 their iniquity H5771 , and let not H408 their sin H2403 be blotted out H4229 from before H4480 H6440 thee: for H3588 they have provoked thee to anger H3707 before H5048 the builders H1129 .
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6. So we rebuilt the wall to half its height, because the people were willing to work.
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6. So built H1129 we H853 the wall H2346 ; and all H3605 the wall H2346 was joined together H7194 unto H5704 the half H2677 thereof : for the people H5971 had H1961 a mind H3820 to work H6213 .
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7. But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod were very angry when they heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls were continuing and that the holes in the wall were being closed.
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7. But it came to pass H1961 , that when H834 Sanballat H5571 , and Tobiah H2900 , and the Arabians H6163 , and the Ammonites H5984 , and the Ashdodites H796 , heard H8085 that H3588 the walls H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 were made up H5927 H724 , and that H3588 the breaches H6555 began H2490 to be stopped H5640 , then they were very H3966 wroth H2734 ,
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8. So they all made plans to come to Jerusalem and fight and stir up trouble.
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8. And conspired H7194 all H3605 of them together H3162 to come H935 and to fight H3898 against Jerusalem H3389 , and to hinder H6213 H8442 it.
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9. But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch for them day and night.
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9. Nevertheless we made our prayer H6419 unto H413 our God H430 , and set H5975 a watch H4929 against H5921 them day H3119 and night H3915 , because of H4480 H6440 them.
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10. The people of Judah said, "The workers are getting tired. There is so much trash we cannot rebuild the wall."
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10. And Judah H3063 said H559 , The strength H3581 of the bearers of burdens H5449 is decayed H3782 , and there is much H7235 rubbish H6083 ; so that we H587 are not H3808 able H3201 to build H1129 the wall H2346 .
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11. And our enemies said, "The Jews won't know or see anything until we come among them and kill them and stop the work."
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11. And our adversaries H6862 said H559 , They shall not H3808 know H3045 , neither H3808 see H7200 , till H5704 H834 we come H935 in H413 the midst among H8432 them , and slay H2026 them , and cause H853 the work H4399 to cease H7673 .
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12. Then the Jewish people who lived near our enemies came and told us ten times, "Everywhere you turn, the enemy will attack us."
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12. And it came to pass H1961 , that when H834 the Jews H3064 which dwelt H3427 by H681 them came H935 , they said H559 unto us ten H6235 times H6471 , From all H4480 H3605 places H4725 whence H834 ye shall return H7725 unto H5921 us they will be upon you .
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13. So I put people behind the lowest places along the wall -- the open places -- and I put families together with their swords, spears, and bows.
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13. Therefore set H5975 I in the lower H4480 H8482 places H4725 behind H4480 H310 the wall H2346 , and on the higher places H6706 , I even set H5975 H853 the people H5971 after their families H4940 with H5973 their swords H2719 , their spears H7420 , and their bows H7198 .
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14. Then I looked around and stood up and said to the important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful. Fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives, and your homes."
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14. And I looked H7200 , and rose up H6965 , and said H559 unto H413 the nobles H2715 , and to H413 the rulers H5461 , and to H413 the rest H3499 of the people H5971 , Be not H408 ye afraid H3372 of H4480 H6440 them: remember H2142 H853 the Lord H136 , which is great H1419 and terrible H3372 , and fight H3898 for H5921 your brethren H251 , your sons H1121 , and your daughters H1323 , your wives H802 , and your houses H1004 .
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15. Then our enemies heard that we knew about their plans and that God had ruined their plans. So we all went back to the wall, each to his own work.
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15. And it came to pass H1961 , when H834 our enemies H341 heard H8085 that H3588 it was known H3045 unto us , and God H430 had brought their counsel to naught H6565 H853 H6098 , that we returned H7725 all H3605 of us to H413 the wall H2346 , every one H376 unto H413 his work H4399 .
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16. From that day on, half my people worked on the wall. The other half was ready with spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stood in back of the people of Judah
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16. And it came to pass H1961 from H4480 that H1931 time H3117 forth, that the half H2677 of my servants H5288 wrought H6213 in the work H4399 , and the other half H2677 of them held H2388 both the spears H7420 , the shields H4043 , and the bows H7198 , and the habergeons H8302 ; and the rulers H8269 were behind H310 all H3605 the house H1004 of Judah H3063 .
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17. who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the other.
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17. They which built H1129 on the wall H2346 , and they that bore H5375 burdens H5447 , with those that laded H6006 , every one with one H259 of his hands H3027 wrought H6213 in the work H4399 , and with the other H259 hand held H2388 a weapon H7973 .
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18. Each builder wore his sword at his side as he worked. The man who blew the trumpet to warn the people stayed next to me.
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18. For the builders H1129 , every one H376 had his sword H2719 girded H631 by H5921 his side H4975 , and so built H1129 . And he that sounded H8628 the trumpet H7782 was by H681 me.
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19. Then I said to the important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people, "This is a very big job. We are spreading out along the wall so that we are far apart.
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19. And I said H559 unto H413 the nobles H2715 , and to H413 the rulers H5461 , and to H413 the rest H3499 of the people H5971 , The work H4399 is great H7235 and large H7342 , and we H587 are separated H6504 upon H5921 the wall H2346 , one H376 far H7350 from another H4480 H251 .
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20. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us."
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20. In what H834 place H4725 therefore ye hear H8085 H853 the sound H6963 of the trumpet H7782 , resort H6908 ye thither H8033 unto H413 us : our God H430 shall fight H3898 for us.
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21. So we continued to work with half the men holding spears from sunrise till the stars came out.
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21. So we H587 labored H6213 in the work H4399 : and half H2677 of them held H2388 the spears H7420 from the rising H4480 H5927 of the morning H7837 till H5704 the stars H3556 appeared H3318 .
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22. At that time I also said to the people, "Let every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. They can be our guards at night and workmen during the day."
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22. Likewise H1571 at the same H1931 time H6256 said H559 I unto the people H5971 , Let every one H376 with his servant H5288 lodge H3885 within H8432 Jerusalem H3389 , that in the night H3915 they may be H1961 a guard H4929 to us , and labor H4399 on the day H3117 .
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23. Neither I, my brothers, my workers, nor the guards with me ever took off our clothes. Each person carried his weapon even when he went for water.
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23. So neither H369 I H589 , nor my brethren H251 , nor my servants H5288 , nor the men H376 of the guard H4929 which H834 followed H310 me, none H369 of us H587 put off H6584 our clothes H899 , saving that every one H376 put them off H7971 for washing H4325 .
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