It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַּאֲשֶׁרSanballatסַנְבַלַּטheardשָׁמַעthatכִּיweאֲנַחְנוּwere buildingבוֹנִיםthe wall,הַחוֹמָהhe burned with angerוַיִּחַר לוֹand was greatlyוַ הַרְבֵּהirritated,יִּכְעַסand he mockedוַיַּלְעֵגthe Jews.עַל הַיְּהוּדִים
And he spokeוַיֹּאמֶרbeforeלִפְנֵיhis brothersאֶחָיוand the troopsוְחֵילof Samaria,שֹׁמְרוֹןand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Whatמָהare theseהַfeebleהָאֲמֵלָלִיםJewsיְּהוּדִיםdoing?עֹשִׂיםWill they leaveהֲיַעַזְבוּthem alone?לָהֶםWill they sacrifice?הֲיִזְבָּחוּWill they finishהַיְכַלּוּin a day?בַיּוֹםWill they reviveהַיְחַיּוּthe stonesהָאֲבָנִיםout of the heapsמֵעֲרֵמוֹתof rubble,הֶעָפָרwhen theyוְהֵמָּהareburned?”שְׂרוּפוֹת
And Tobiahוְטוֹבִיָּהthe Ammoniteהָעַמֹּנִיwasbeside him,אֶצְלוֹand he said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Evenגַּםwhatאֲשֶׁרtheyהֵםare building—בּוֹנִיםifאִםa foxשׁוּעָלgoes up,יַעֲלֶהit will make a breachוּפָרַץin the wallחוֹמַתof their stones.”אַבְנֵיהֶם
Hear,שְׁמַעour Elohim,אֱלֹהֵינוּforכִּיwe have becomeהָיִינוּan object of contempt;בוּזָהand turn backוְהָשֵׁבtheir reproachחֶרְפָּתָםonאֶלtheir own head,רֹאשָׁםand give themוּתְנֵםas plunderלְבִזָּהin a landבְּאֶרֶץof captivity.שִׁבְיָה
Do notוְאַלcoverתְּכַסtheir iniquity,עַל עֲוֺנָםand do not letוְ אַלtheir sinחַטָּאתָםbe blotted outתִּמָּחֶהfrom before you,מִלְּפָנֶיךָforכִּיthey have provoked to angerהִכְעִיסוּin front ofלְנֶגֶדthe builders.הַבּוֹנִים
So we builtוַנִּבְנֶהthe wall,הַחוֹמָהand allוַ כָּלthe wallהַחוֹמָהwas joined togetherתִּקָּשֵׁרup toעַדhalf of it;חֶצְיָהּandוַthe peopleלָעָםhadיְהִיa heartלֵבto work.לַעֲשׂוֹת
It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַאֲשֶׁרSanballatסַנְבַלַּטand Tobiah,וְטוֹבִיָּהand the Arabs,וְהָעַרְבִיםthe Ammonites,וְהָעַמֹּנִיםand the Ashdoditesוְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִיםheardשָׁמַעthatכִּיthe restorationאֲרוּכָהof the wallsלְחֹמוֹתof Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַםwas going forward,עָלְתָהthatכִּיthe breachesהַפְּרֻצִיםhad begunהֵחֵלּוּto be closed,לְהִסָּתֵםthey burned with angerוַיִּחַר לָהֶםgreatly;מְאֹד
and they conspiredוַיִּקְשְׁרוּall of themכֻלָּםtogetherיַחְדָּוto comeלָבוֹאandfightלְהִלָּחֵםagainst Jerusalemבִּירוּשָׁלִָםand to causeוְלַעֲשׂוֹתitלוֹconfusion.תּוֹעָה
But we prayedוַנִּתְפַּלֵּלtoאֶלour Elohim,אֱלֹהֵינוּand setוַנַּעֲמִידa guardמִשְׁמָרagainst themעֲלֵיהֶםdayיוֹמָםand nightוָלַיְלָהbecause of them.מִפְּנֵיהֶם
And Judahוַ יְהוּדָהsaid,יֹּאמֶר“The strengthכֹּחַof the carrierהַסַּבָּלhas faltered,כָּשַׁלand the rubbleוְהֶעָפָרis much,הַרְבֵּהand weוַאֲנַחְנוּwill notלֹאbe ableנוּכַלto buildלִבְנוֹתon the wall.”בַּחוֹמָה
And our adversariesוַ צָרֵינוּsaid,יֹּאמְרוּ“They will notלֹאknowיֵדְעוּnorוְלֹאseeיִרְאוּuntilעַד אֲשֶׁרwe comeנָבוֹאintoאֶלtheir midstתּוֹכָםand kill themוַהֲרַגְנוּםand stopוְהִשְׁבַּתְנוּthe work.”הַמְּלָאכָה
It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַּאֲשֶׁרthe Jewsהַיְּהוּדִיםwho livedהַיֹּשְׁבִיםbeside themאֶצְלָםcame,בָּאוּthey saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto usלָנוּtenעֶשֶׂרtimes,פְּעָמִים“Fromמִallכָּלthe placesהַמְּקֹמוֹתwhereאֲשֶׁרyou turn,תָּשׁוּבוּthey will beon us.”עָלֵינוּ
So I stationedוָאַעֲמִידin the lowest partsמִתַּחְתִּיּוֹתof the placeלַמָּקוֹםbehindמֵאַחֲרֵיthe wall,לַחוֹמָהin the exposed places;בַּצְּחִיחִיםI stationedוָאַעֲמִידthe peopleהָעָםby families,לְמִשְׁפָּחוֹתwithעִםtheir swords,חַרְבֹתֵיהֶםtheir spears,רָמְחֵיהֶםand their bows.וְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶם
I looked,וָאֵרֶאand rose,וָאָקוּםand saidוָאֹמַרtoאֶלthe nobles,הַחֹרִיםtoוְאֶלthe officials,הַסְּגָנִיםand toוְאֶלthe restיֶתֶרof the people,הָעָם“Do notאַלbe afraidתִּירְאוּbefore them.מִפְּנֵיהֶםRememberזְכֹרוּAdonai,אֲדֹנָיthe greatהַגָּדוֹלand fearsome,וְהַנּוֹרָאand fightוְהִלָּחֲמוּforעַלyour brothers,אֲחֵיכֶםyour sonsבְּנֵיכֶםand your daughters,וּבְנֹתֵיכֶםyour wivesנְשֵׁיכֶםand your houses.”וּבָתֵּיכֶם
It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַּאֲשֶׁרour enemiesאוֹיְבֵינוּheardשָׁמְעוּthatכִּיit was knownנוֹדַעto us,לָנוּand thatוַElohimהָאֱלֹהִיםhad annulledיָּפֶרtheir counsel,עֲצָתָםwe returnedוַנָּשָׁבall of usכֻּלָּנוּtoאֶלthe wall,הַחוֹמָהeachאִישׁtoאֶלhis work.מְלַאכְתּוֹ
It happenedוַיְהִיfromמִןthatהַהוּאdayהַיּוֹםon thathalfחֲצִיof my young menנְעָרַיwere doingעֹשִׂיםthe work,בַּמְּלָאכָהand half of themוְחֶצְיָםwere holdingמַחֲזִיקִיםthe spears,הָרְמָחִיםthe shields,הַמָּגִנִּיםthe bows,וְהַקְּשָׁתוֹתand the coats of mail;וְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִיםand the officialsוְהַשָּׂרִיםwerebehindאַחֲרֵיallכָּלthe houseבֵּיתof Judah.יְהוּדָה
Those who builtהַבּוֹנִיםon the wallבַּחוֹמָהand those who carriedוְהַנֹּשְׂאִיםthe burdenבַּסֶּבֶלwere loading it:עֹמְשִׂיםwith oneבְּאַחַתof his handsיָדוֹhe didעֹשֶׂהthe work,בַמְּלָאכָהand with the otherוְאַחַתhe heldמַחֲזֶקֶתthe weapon.הַשָּׁלַח
And the builders,וְהַבּוֹנִיםeachאִישׁhadhis swordחַרְבּוֹgirdedאֲסוּרִיםatעַלhis waist,מָתְנָיוand they built;וּבוֹנִיםand the one who blewוְהַתּוֹקֵעַthe hornבַּשּׁוֹפָרwasbeside me.אֶצְלִי
And I saidוָאֹמַרtoאֶלthe nobles,הַחֹרִיםtoוְאֶלthe officials,הַסְּגָנִיםand toוְאֶלthe restיֶתֶרof the people,הָעָם“The workהַמְּלָאכָהis greatהַרְבֵּהand extensive,וּרְחָבָהand weוַאֲנַחְנוּare separatedנִפְרָדִיםonעַלthe wall,הַחוֹמָהfarרְחוֹקִיםeachאִישׁfrom his brother.מֵאָחִיו
In the placeבִּמְקוֹםwhereאֲשֶׁרyou hearתִּשְׁמְעוּthe soundקוֹלof the horn,הַשּׁוֹפָרthereשָׁמָּהgatherתִּקָּבְצוּto us.אֵלֵינוּOur Elohimאֱלֹהֵינוּwill fightיִלָּחֶםfor us.”לָנוּ
So weוַאֲנַחְנוּwere doingעֹשִׂיםthe work,בַּמְּלָאכָהand half of themוְחֶצְיָםwere holdingמַחֲזִיקִיםthe spears,בָּרְמָחִיםfromמֵthe risingעֲלוֹתof the dawnהַשַּׁחַרuntilעַדthe coming outצֵאתof the stars.הַכּוֹכָבִים
AlsoגַּםatבָּthatהַהִיאtimeעֵתI saidאָמַרְתִּיto the people,לָעָם“Each manאִישׁand his young manוְנַעֲרוֹis to spend the nightיָלִינוּinsideבְּתוֹךְJerusalem,יְרוּשָׁלִָםso that they may beוְהָיוּfor usלָנוּby nightהַלַּיְלָהa guard,מִשְׁמָרand by dayוְהַיּוֹםwork.”מְלָאכָה
So neither I,וְאֵין אֲנִיnor my brothers,וְאַחַיnor my young men,וּנְעָרַיnor the menוְאַנְשֵׁיof the guardהַמִּשְׁמָרwho wereאֲשֶׁרbehind me—אַחֲרַיnone of usאֵין אֲנַחְנוּtook offפֹשְׁטִיםour clothes;בְּגָדֵינוּeachאִישׁhadhis weapon,שִׁלְחוֹeven atthe water.הַמָּיִם