Liber Nehemiae

Nehemiae, chapter 4, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 4 Vulgate

   1 Factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat et Thobias et Arabes et Ammanitae et Azotii quod prosperaretur restauratio muri Ierusalem et quod coepissent interrupta concludi, irati sunt nimis;
   2 et conspiraverunt omnes pariter, ut venirent et pugnarent contra Ierusalem et facerent confusionem.
   3 Et oravimus Deum nostrum et posuimus custodiam die ac nocte contra eos.
   4 Dixit autem Iudas: "Debilitata est fortitudo portantis, et humus nimia est; et nos non poterimus aedificare murum".
   5 Et dixerunt hostes nostri: "Nesciant et ignorent, donec veniamus in medium eorum et interficiamus eos et cessare faciamus opus".
   6 Factum est autem venientibus Iudaeis, qui habitabant iuxta eos, et dicentibus nobis per decem vices ex omnibus locis, quibus venerant ad nos,
   7 statuimus nos in inferioribus post murum in locis apertis, et ordinavi populum secundum familias cum gladiis suis et lanceis suis et arcubus suis.
   8 Et perspexi atque surrexi, et aio ad optimates et magistratus et ad reliquam partem vulgi: "Nolite timere a facie eorum; Domini magni et terribilis mementote et pugnate pro fratribus vestris, filiis vestris et filiabus vestris et uxoribus vestris et domibus vestris".
   9 Factum est autem cum audissent inimici nostri nuntiatum esse nobis, dissipavit Deus consilium eorum, et reversi sumus omnes ad murum, unusquisque ad opus suum.
   10 Et factum est a die illa, media pars iuvenum meorum faciebat opus, et media tenebat lanceas et scuta et arcus et loricas, et principes post omnem domum Iudae.
   11 Aedificantium in muro et portantium onera et imponentium, una manu sua faciebat opus et altera tenebat gladium;
   12 aedificantium enim unusquisque gladio erat accinctus renes, et sic aedificabant; et, qui clangebat bucina, iuxta me.
   13 Et dixi ad optimates et ad magistratus et ad reliquam partem vulgi: "Opus grande est et latum, et nos separati sumus in muro procul alter ab altero;
   14 in loco quocumque audieritis clangorem tubae, illuc concurrite ad nos. Deus noster pugnabit pro nobis".
   15 Et sic nos fecimus opus, et media pars nostrum tenebat lanceas ab ascensu aurorae, donec egrediantur astra.
   16 In tempore quoque illo dixi populo: "Unusquisque cum puero suo pernoctet in medio Ierusalem; et erit nobis custodia per noctem, et opus per diem".
   17 Ego autem et fratres mei et pueri mei et custodes, qui erant post me, non deponebamus vestimenta nostra; unusquisque tenebat gladium in dextera sua.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
   2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? 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 the rubbish which are burned?
   3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
   4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
   5 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.
   6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
   7 ¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
   8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
   9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
   10 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.
   11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
   12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
   13 ¶ Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
   14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
   15 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.
   16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
   17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
   18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
   19 ¶ And I said unto the nobles, and to the 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.
   20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
   21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
   22 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 labour on the day.
   23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.