But it came to pass, that when Sanvallat, and Toviyya, and the ῾Arvians, and the ῾Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Yerushalayim were being repaired, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry,

And it was, when Sanvalet and Toviah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been "healed," that the "breached ones" [(the Jews of the city)] had [now] been closed in, they were extremely wroth.

and they conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Yerushalayim, and to cause confusion in it.

And they all banded together to come to war against Jerusalem and to render it [(the wall)] a ruin.

Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

And we prayed to our G-d, and we set up a guard for them [(the builders)] day and night against them [(the invaders)].

And Yehuda said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is failing, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

And Judah said [(in fear of the foe)]: The strength of the workers has waned and the earth [(for building)] is much [i.e., there is yet much for us to build], and we shall not be able to build the wall.

And our adversaries said, They shall neither know, nor see, until we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

[(Nechemiah says what follows:)] And our foes said: They [(Israel)] will not know [(of our presence)] and they will not see until we come into their midst and we will halt the work.

And it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times, From all places where you shall return, they will be upon us.

And it was, when the Jews who dwelt with them came and told us ten times: From all the places [(where you find yourselves engaged in the work of the wall, assemble when they attack until)] you return upon us [(to fight us)].

Therefore in the lower places behind the wall on the bare face of the rock, I stationed the people; I stationed them according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I positioned beneath that place [(around Jerusalem)] behind the wall [(on the outside)] (and) on the rocks — I positioned the people by [the strongest of] their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

And I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and awe inspiring, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

And when I saw [(the foe approaching)], I arose and said to the nobles, the officers, and the rest of the people: Do not fear them. Remember the great, awesome L-rd, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!

And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, everyone to his work.

And it was, when our foes heard that [their intent] was known to us, G-d destroyed their counsel and we all returned to the wall, each to his work.

And it came to pass from that time onwards, that the half of my servants did the work, and the other 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 Yehuda.

And it was, from that day on, that half of my [strong] youths did the work [on the wall] while the [other] half held the spears, the shields, the bows and the armor. And the chiefs backed up all [the tribes of] the house of Judah.

They who built the wall, and they who bore burdens, loaded themselves in such a way that with one of his hands each laboured in the work, and with the other hand he held a weapon.

The builders of the wall and the carriers of the loads, with one hand did their work, and with the other held a weapon.

For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so he built. And he who sounded the shofar was by me.

And each man built, with his sword tied to his thighs; and the blower of the shofar [(to alert the men in case of an attack)] was [always] at my side.

And I said to 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, far from one another.

And I said to the nobles and to the officers and to the rest of the people: The work is great and wide [spread], and we are separated on the wall, distant, one from the other.

In whatever place you hear the sound of the shofar, rally to us there: our God shall fight for us.

In the place where you hear the sound of the shofar, there shall you gather to us, (and) G-d shall fight for us.

So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

And we did the work, and half held the spears, from dawn until dusk.

Likewise at the same time I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Yerushalayim, so that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour in the day.

Also at that time I said to the people: Let each man and his youth spend the night in Jerusalem — so that the night was for us for guarding, and the day for work.

So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes: everyone brought his weapon with him, even to the water.

And neither I, nor my brethren, nor my youths, nor the men of the watch after me took off our clothes [to sleep] or [to wash them] in water.