1And it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that healing had gone up to the walls of Jerusalem, that the breaches had begun to be stopped, then it burned to them greatly,
2and they conspired, all of them together, to come to fight against Jerusalem and to make for it confusion.
3But we prayed to our God, and we set up a watch against them day and night because of them.
4And Judah said, "The strength of the burden-bearer has stumbled, and the dust (aphar) is much, and we ourselves are not able to build at the wall."
5And our adversaries said, "They shall not know, and they shall not see, until we come into their midst and slay them, and make the work shabbat."
6And it came to pass, when the Jews who dwelt beside them came, that they said to us ten times, "From all the places where you turn, they will come upon us."
7So I stationed men at the lowest parts of the place, behind the wall, in the exposed places; and I stationed the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
8And I saw, and I rose up, and I said to the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "Do not fear before them. Remember my Lord (Adonai), the great and the awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives (ishah) and your houses."
9And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had broken their counsel, that we returned, all of us, to the wall, each man (ish) to his work.
10And it came to pass from that day that half of my servants were doing the work, and half of them were holding the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the princes were behind all the house of Judah.
11Those who built at the wall and those who bore the burden were loading themselves; with one of his hand each was doing the work, and with the other holding the weapon.
12And the builders, each man (ish) had his sword bound upon his loins, and so they were building; and he who sounded the trumpet was beside me.
13And I said to the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is much and wide, and we are spread apart upon the wall, far off, each man (ish) from his brother.
14In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather yourselves to us; our God will fight for us."
15And we were doing the work, and half of them were holding the spears from the rising of the dawn until the coming out of the stars.
16Also at that time I said to the people, "Let each man (ish) and his servant lodge in the midst of Jerusalem, that they may be for us a watch in the night and labor in the day."
17And neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men (ish) of the watch who were behind me—none of us were putting off our garments; each man (ish) had his weapon even at the water.