Nehemiah 4

Prayer and Determination Nehemiah 4:4–6

⁴Verse 4. “Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity; ⁵Verse 5. don’t cover their iniquity, and don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.” ⁶Verse 6. So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height: for the people had a mind to work.

Increased Threats Nehemiah 4:7–9

⁷Verse 7. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry; ⁸Verse 8. and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us. ⁹Verse 9. But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Discouragement Among Workers Nehemiah 4:10–12

¹⁰Verse 10. Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading, and there is much rubble; so that we are not able to build the wall.” ¹¹Verse 11. Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.” ¹²Verse 12. When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Preparation for Defense Nehemiah 4:13–15

¹³Verse 13. Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows. ¹⁴Verse 14. I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” ¹⁵Verse 15. When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

Work and Vigilance Nehemiah 4:16–20

¹⁶Verse 16. From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. ¹⁷Verse 17. Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon. ¹⁸Verse 18. Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me. ¹⁹Verse 19. I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and large, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.

²⁰Verse 20. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”

Continuous Commitment Nehemiah 4:21–23

²¹Verse 21. So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. ²²Verse 22. Likewise at the same time said I to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.” ²³Verse 23. So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.