{[Chapter 3:33 in Hebrew]}But it came to pass that, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? {Or, will they leave to themselves aught? Or, will men let them alone?}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 rubbish, seeing they are burned?
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a {Or, jackel}fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;
and 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.
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
{[Chapter 4:1 in Hebrew]}But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that {Hebrew: healing went up upon the walls.}the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;
and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
And 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.
And 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.
And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times {Or, From all places whence ye shall return they will be upon us}from all places, Ye must return unto us.
Therefore set I in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places, I set there the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the {Or, deputies}rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
And 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.
And 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 {Or, all the house of Judah that builded the wall. And they that &c.}all the house of Judah.
They all builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves; every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;
and the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
And I said unto the nobles, and to the {Or, deputies}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:
in what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God will fight for us.
So we wrought in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
Likewise 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 may labor in the day.
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard that followed me, none of us put off our clothes, {The text is obscure.}every one went with his weapon to the water.
Querverweise zu Nehemia 4,9 Neh 4,9
And 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.
{Or, Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not}Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good:
{Hebrew: I am less than all &c.}I am not worthy of the least of all the lovingkindnesses, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two companies.
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children.
And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but {That is, He who striveth with God, or, God striveth.}Israel: for thou hast {Or, had power with}striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,
And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of Jehovah, and spread it before Jehovah.
And Hezekiah prayed before Jehovah, and said, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, that {Or, art enthroned}sittest above the cherubim, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, wherewith he hath sent him to defy the living God.
Of a truth, Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.
Now therefore, O Jehovah our God, save thou us, I beseech thee, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou Jehovah art God alone.
And call upon me in the day of trouble:I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
As for me, I will call upon God;And Jehovah will save me.
Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan;And he will hear my voice.
He hath redeemed my soul in peace {Or, so that none came nigh me}from the battle that was against me;For they were many that strove with me.
God will hear, and {Or, afflict}answer them,Even he that abideth of old, [SelahThe men who have no changes,And who fear not God.
He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him:He hath profaned his covenant.
His mouth was smooth as butter,But his heart was war:His words were softer than oil,Yet were they drawn swords.
Cast {Or, what he hath given thee}thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee:He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
But they were filled with {Or, foolishness}madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
And it came to pass in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to God.
And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O {Greek: Master.}Lord, {Or, thou art he that did make }thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
{The Greek text in this clause is somewhat uncertain.}who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, {Psalm 2:1, 2}Why did the {Greek: nations.}Gentiles rage,And the peoples {Or, meditate}imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth set themselves in array,And the rulers were gathered together,Against the Lord, and against his {Greek: Christ.}Anointed:
for of a truth in this city against thy holy {Or, Child See marginal note on chapter 3:13.}Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the {Greek: nations.}Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy {Greek: bondservants.}servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy {Or, Child See marginal note on chapter 3:13.}Servant Jesus.