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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Nehemiah 4 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/nehemiah/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/nehemiah/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > Nehemiah 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../nehemiah/3.htm" title="Nehemiah 3">◄</a> Nehemiah 4 <a href="../nehemiah/5.htm" title="Nehemiah 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch16004" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn16004" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span id="v16004001" class="ver">1</span>When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem was progressing—for the gaps were beginning to be closed up—they became extremely angry. <span id="v16004002" class="ver">2</span>They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to throw us into confusion. <span id="v16004003" class="ver">3</span>We prayed to our God and posted a watch against them day and night for fear of what they might do. <span id="v16004004" class="ver">4</span>Meanwhile the Judahites were saying:</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf">“Slackened is the bearers’ strength,</p> <p class="sl1">there is no end to the rubbish;</p> <p class="sl">Never will we be able</p> <p class="sl1l">to rebuild the wall.”</p> </div> <p class="pcon"><span id="v16004005" class="ver">5</span>Our enemies thought, “Before they are aware of it or see us, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”</p> <p><span id="v16004006" class="ver">6</span>When the Jews who lived near them had come to us from one place after another, and had told us ten times over that they were about to attack us, <span id="v16004007" class="ver">7</span>I stationed guards down below, behind the wall, near the exposed points, assigning them by family groups with their swords, spears, and bows. <span id="v16004008" class="ver">8</span>I made an inspection, then addressed these words to the nobles, the magistrates, and the rest of the people: “Do not fear them! Keep in mind the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, who is great and to be feared, and fight for your kindred, your sons and daughters, your wives and your homes.” <span id="v16004009" class="ver">9</span>When our enemies realized that we had been warned and that God had upset their plan, we all went back, each to our own task at the wall.</p> <p><span id="v16004010" class="ver">10</span><a id="ren16004010-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en16004010-a">a</a> From that time on, however, only half my work force took a hand in the work, while the other half, armed with spears, bucklers, bows, and breastplates, stood guard behind the whole house of Judah <span id="v16004011" class="ver">11</span>as they rebuilt the wall. The load carriers, too, were armed; each worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. <span id="v16004012" class="ver">12</span>Every builder, while working, had a sword tied at his side. A trumpeter stood beside me, <span id="v16004013" class="ver">13</span>for I had said to the nobles, the magistrates, and the rest of the people: “Our work is scattered and extensive, and we are widely separated from one another along the wall; <span id="v16004014" class="ver">14</span>wherever you hear the trumpet sound, join us there; our God will fight with us.” <span id="v16004015" class="ver">15</span>Thus we went on with the work, half with spears in hand, from daybreak till the stars came out.</p> <p><span id="v16004016" class="ver">16</span>At the same time I told the people to spend the nights inside Jerusalem, each with an attendant, so that they might serve as a guard by night and a working force by day. <span id="v16004017" class="ver">17</span>Neither I, nor my kindred, nor any of my attendants, nor any of the bodyguard that accompanied me took off our clothes; everyone kept a weapon at hand.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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