尼希米戰勝阻力
1參巴拉聽說我們正在重建城牆，非常憤怒，就嘲笑猶太人， 2當著他的同僚和撒瑪利亞軍兵的面說：「這群弱小的猶太人在做什麼呢？要重建城牆嗎？要獻祭嗎？要在一日之間建好嗎？要用廢墟中燒過的石頭來建造嗎？」
3他身旁的多比雅說：「他們建的石牆，一隻狐狸上去就能踩倒！」
4我禱告說：「我們的上帝啊，求你垂聽，因為我們正在被人恥笑。求你使他們對我們的凌辱歸到他們自己頭上，使他們被擄到外邦。 5不要遮掩他們的惡行，也不要從你面前塗抹他們的罪惡，因為他們在這些建造的人面前惹你發怒。」
6眾人全心做工，把整個城牆連接起來，高達原來的一半。
7參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人和亞實突人聽說耶路撒冷的城牆正在重建、缺口正在填補，非常憤怒， 8便一起圖謀襲擊耶路撒冷，使城內混亂。 9但我們向我們的上帝禱告，並設立守衛晝夜防備他們。
10猶大人說：「工人已經精疲力盡，還有太多瓦礫有待清理，我們自己無法重建城牆。」 11我們的敵人說：「我們要趁他們不知不覺，進入他們中間殺死他們，阻止他們的工作。」 12靠近敵人居住的猶太人十次來告訴我們，說敵人會從各方來襲擊我們4·12 本節希伯來文意義不明。。 13於是，我按宗族派人手持刀劍、長矛和弓箭守衛在城牆後面低窪的空地上。 14我察看形勢後，起來對貴族、官員和其他民眾說：「不要怕他們！要記住，主偉大而可畏。要為你們的兄弟、兒女、妻子和家園而戰。」
15敵人聽說我們知道了他們的陰謀，上帝已破壞他們的詭計，就沒有來。我們回到城牆那裡，繼續各人的工作。 16從那時起，我的僕人一半繼續修築城牆，一半身穿盔甲，手持長矛、盾牌和弓箭負責守衛。官長都站在修築城牆的所有猶大人後面。 17搬運工人一手工作，一手拿兵器。 18修築城牆的人工作的時候都腰間配劍。吹號的人在我旁邊， 19我對貴族、官員和其餘的民眾說：「這工程浩大，範圍廣闊，我們在城牆上相隔很遠， 20因此你們一聽見號角聲，就要聚到我那裡。我們的上帝必為我們爭戰！」
21這樣，從黎明直到星星出現，我們的人一半工作，一半手持兵器守衛。 22那時，我又吩咐眾人各帶僕人在耶路撒冷住宿。他們夜間可以幫我們守衛，白天幫我們工作。 23我和我的兄弟、僕人及跟從我的守衛都衣不解帶，刀不離身4·23 「刀不離身」或譯「出去打水時也帶著刀」。。
1But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?4.2 fortify…: Heb. leave to themselves 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. 4Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:4.4 despised: Heb. despite 5And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders. 6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 4.7 were made up: Heb. ascended 8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.4.8 to hinder…: Heb. to make an error to it 9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10And Judah 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. 11And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.4.12 From all…: or, That from all places ye must return to us
13¶ Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.4.13 in the…: Heb. from the lower parts of the place, etc 14And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. 15And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. 17They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. 18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.4.18 by his side: Heb. on his loins
19¶ And 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. 20In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. 21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. 22Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. 23So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.4.23 saving…: or, every one went with his weapon for water
