Nehemiah 4 נְחֶמְיָה פרק ד׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Nehemiah 4 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וַיְהִיand it came to passכַאֲשֶׁרasשָׁמַעheardסַנְבַלַּטSanballatוְטוֹבִיָּהand Tobiahוְהָעַרְבִיםand the Arabiansוְהָעַמֹּנִיםand the Ammonitesוְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִיםand the Ashdoditesכִּי־עָלְתָהthat went upאֲרוּכָהthe repairלְחֹמוֹתof the walls ofיְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִםJerusalemכִּי־הֵחֵלּוּbecause beganהַפְּרֻצִיםthe broken down partsלְהִסָּתֵםto be closedוַיִּחַרand burnedלָהֶםto themמְאֹד׃exceedingly

   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,

2. 2

   וַיִּקְשְׁרוּand they conspiredכֻלָּםall of themיַחְדָּוtogetherלָבוֹאto comeלְהִלָּחֵםto fightבִּירוּשָׁלָ͏ִםin Jerusalemוְלַעֲשׂוֹתand doלוֹto himתּוֹעָה׃harm

   And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

3. 3

   וַנִּתְפַּלֵּלand we prayedאֶל־אֱלֹהֵינוּto our Godוַנַּעֲמִידand we stationedמִשְׁמָרcustodyעֲלֵיהֶםupon themיוֹמָםby dayוָלַיְלָהand a nightמִפְּנֵיהֶם׃from before them

   Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

4. 4

   וַיֹּאמֶרand saidיְהוּדָהJudahכָּשַׁלit has failedכֹּחַpowerהַסַּבָּלthe burden bearersוְהֶעָפָרand the debrisהַרְבֵּהmuchוַאֲנַחְנוּand we areלֹאnotנוּכַלcan weלִבְנוֹתto buildבַּחוֹמָה׃the wall

   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.

5. 5

   וַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidצָרֵינוּour opponentsלֹאnotיֵדְעוּknowוְלֹאand notיִרְאוּshall seeעַדuntilאֲשֶׁר־נָבוֹאwhich comeאֶל־תּוֹכָםto the midst of themוַהֲרַגְנוּםand we will kill themוְהִשְׁבַּתְנוּand we will put an end toאֶת־הַמְּלָאכָה׃the task

   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.

6. 6

   וַיְהִיand it came to passכַּאֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּas cameהַיְּהוּדִיםthe Jewsהַיֹּשְׁבִיםthe inhabitantsאֶצְלָםbeside themוַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidלָנוּto usעֶשֶׂרtenפְּעָמִיםtimesמִכׇּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹתfrom all the placesאֲשֶׁר־תָּשׁוּבוּwhich you will turnעָלֵינוּ׃over us

   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.

7. 7

   וָאַעֲמִידand I stationedמִתַּחְתְּיוֹתin the lower placesלַמָּקוֹםthe placeמֵאַחֲרֵיfrom afterלַחוֹמָהof the wall(בצחחיים)[בַּצְּחִיחִים]on the higher placesוָאַעֲמִידand I stationedאֶת־הָעָםthe peopleלְמִשְׁפָּחוֹתto familiesעִם־חַרְבֹתֵיהֶםwith their swordsרׇמְחֵיהֶםtheir spearsוְקַשְּׁתֹתֵיהֶם׃and their bows

   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.

8. 8

   וָאֵרֶאand I sawוָאָקוּםand arose Iוָאֹמַרand I saidאֶל־הַחֹרִיםto the noblesוְאֶל־הַסְּגָנִיםand the officialsוְאֶל־יֶתֶרand the remainder ofהָעָםthe peopleאַל־תִּירְאוּfear notמִפְּנֵיהֶםfrom before themאֶת־אֲדֹנָיthe Lordהַגָּדוֹלthe greatוְהַנּוֹרָאand the awesomeזְכֹרוּrememberוְהִלָּחֲמוּand fightעַל־אֲחֵיכֶםupon your brethrenבְּנֵיכֶםyour sonsוּבְנֹתֵיכֶםand your daughtersנְשֵׁיכֶםyour wivesוּבָתֵּיכֶם׃and your households

   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.

9. 9

   וַיְהִיand it came to passכַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְעוּas they heardאוֹיְבֵינוּour enemiesכִּי־נוֹדַעbecause it became knownלָנוּto usוַיָּפֶרand had frustratedהָאֱלֹהִיםthe Godאֶת־עֲצָתָםtheir counsels(ונשוב)[וַנָּשׇׁב]and we returnedכֻּלָּנוּus allאֶל־הַחוֹמָהto the wallאִישׁa manאֶל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ׃to his work

   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.

10. 10

    וַיְהִיand it came to passמִן־הַיּוֹםfrom the dayהַהוּאthatחֲצִיhalfנְעָרַיmy young menעֹשִׂיםwhich actבַּמְּלָאכָהthe workוְחֶצְיָםand half of themמַחֲזִיקִיםheldוְהָרְמָחִיםand the spearsהַמָּגִנִּיםthe shieldsוְהַקְּשָׁתוֹתand the bowsוְהַשִּׁרְיֹנִיםand the body armorוְהַשָּׂרִיםand the princesאַחֲרֵיafterכׇּל־בֵּיתall house ofיְהוּדָה׃Judah

    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.

11. 11

    הַבּוֹנִיםthe buildersבַּחוֹמָהthe wallוְהַנֹּשְׂאִיםand the ones who were carryingבַּסֶּבֶלin the burdenעֹמְשִׂיםwere carrying itבְּאַחַתin oneיָדוֹhis handעֹשֶׂהdoבַמְּלָאכָהthe workוְאַחַתand oneמַחֲזֶקֶתwas holdingהַשָּׁלַח׃the weapon

    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.

12. 12

    וְהַבּוֹנִיםand the buildersאִישׁa manחַרְבּוֹhis swordאֲסוּרִיםgirdedעַל־מׇתְנָיוupon his loinsוּבוֹנִיםand were buildingוְהַתּוֹקֵעַand the one who gave a blastבַּשּׁוֹפָרwith the shofarאֶצְלִי׃beside me

    For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

13. 13

    וָאֹמַרand I saidאֶל־הַחֹרִיםto the noblesוְאֶל־הַסְּגָנִיםand the officialsוְאֶל־יֶתֶרand the remainder ofהָעָםthe peopleהַמְּלָאכָהthe taskהַרְבֵּהmuchוּרְחָבָהand largeוַאֲנַחְנוּand we areנִפְרָדִיםseparateעַל־הַחוֹמָהupon the wallרְחוֹקִיםare distantאִישׁa manמֵאָחִיו׃from another

    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.

14. 14

    בִּמְקוֹםat the place ofאֲשֶׁרwhichתִּשְׁמְעוּyou hearkenאֶת־קוֹלthe voice ofהַשּׁוֹפָרthe trumpetשָׁמָּהthereתִּקָּבְצוּyou will assembleאֵלֵינוּunto usאֱלֹהֵינוּour Godיִלָּחֶםhe will fightלָנוּ׃to us

    In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.

15. 15

    וַאֲנַחְנוּand we areעֹשִׂיםwhich actבַּמְּלָאכָהthe workוְחֶצְיָםand half of themמַחֲזִיקִיםheldבָּרְמָחִיםon spearsמֵעֲלוֹתfor going upהַשַּׁחַרthe dawnעַדuntilצֵאתdepartedהַכּוֹכָבִים׃the stars

    So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

16. 16

    גַּםalsoבָּעֵתat the timeהַהִיאthatאָמַרְתִּיI saidלָעָםto the peopleאִישׁa manוְנַעֲרוֹand his servantיָלִינוּthey spent the nightבְּתוֹךְamongיְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִםJerusalemוְהָיוּ־לָנוּthen they shall be usהַלַּיְלָהthe nightמִשְׁמָרcustodyוְהַיּוֹםand the dayמְלָאכָה׃a work

    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.

17. 17

    וְאֵיןand there is noאֲנִיIוְאַחַיand my brethrenוּנְעָרַיand my servantsוְאַנְשֵׁיand the men ofהַמִּשְׁמָרthe guardאֲשֶׁרwhichאַחֲרַיafter meאֵין־אֲנַחְנוּnone of usפֹשְׁטִיםwere stripping offבְּגָדֵינוּour garmentsאִישׁa manשִׁלְחוֹhis weaponהַמָּיִם׃the water

    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.