1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that repairs to the walls of Jerusalem were going forward -- that the gaps were beginning to fill up -- they became very angry,
2 and they all plotted to come and attack Jerusalem and upset my plans.
3 We, however, prayed to our God and organised a guard day and night to protect the city from them.
4 But in Judah the saying went, 'The strength of the carrier falters, the rubbish heap is so vast that by ourselves we cannot rebuild the wall!'
5 And our opponents said, 'They will never know or see a thing, until we are in there among them, and then we shall massacre them and put a stop to the work.'
6 Now when the Jews who lived near them had warned us ten times over, 'They are coming up against us from every place they live in,'
7 men took up position in the space behind the wall at those points where it was lowest, and I organised the people by families with their swords, spears and bows.
8 Aware of their anxiety, I then addressed the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord and fight for your kinsmen, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your homes.'
9 Once our enemies heard that we were forewarned and that God had thwarted their plan, they withdrew and we all went back to the wall, each one to his work.
10 From then on, half my own retainers went on working, while the other half stood by, armed with spears, shields, bows and armour to protect the whole House of Judah as they rebuilt the wall.
11 The carriers were armed, working with one hand and holding a spear in the other.
12 Each builder had his sword strapped to his side as he built. Beside me stood a trumpeter.
13 I then said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'The work is great and widely spread out, and we are deployed along the wall some way from one another.
14 Rally to us wherever you hear the trumpet sounding; our God will fight for us.'
15 And so we went on with the work from break of day until the stars came out.
16 At the same time I also told the people, 'Let every man, with his attendant, spend the night inside Jerusalem; we shall spend the night on guard and the day at work.'
17 Neither I, nor my brothers, nor my attendants, nor my bodyguards, ever took off our clothes; each one kept his spear in his right hand.
Versículos relacionados com Nehemiah, 4:
Nehemiah 4 narrates the opposition and oppositions faced by the Jews in the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. In the chapter, the enemies oppose the work, mock the Jews, plan to attack them and spread lies upon them. In response, Nehemiah organizes workers, encourages them to trust God and take precautionary measures against the attacks. Here are five verses related to the topics covered in Nehemiah 4:
Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, because I am with you, do not haunt yourself, because I am your God; I strengthen you, and help you, and I support you with my faithful right hand." This verse encourages Jews to trust God for protection and help, as Nehemiah did when he faced himself with the opposition.
Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and fortress, well present help in anguish." Nehemiah trusts in God as his protection against enemies, and this psalm reflects that confidence.
Proverbs 21:31: "The horse prepares for battle day, but the Lord gives victory." Nehemiah took precautionary measures to protect himself from the attacks of enemies, but acknowledged that the victory came from the Lord.
Ephesians 6:11: "Coat of all God's armor, that you may be firm against the shrewd cunning of the devil." Nehemiah encouraged workers to protect themselves with weapons as they recognized that the fight was not only physical but spiritual.
Nehemiah 4:20: "In the place where you hear the sound of the horn, you will gather with us; our God will fight for us." This verse reflects the confidence of Nehemiah and the Jews that God would fight for them and protect the work they were doing.
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