Nehemiah 4:1-6 - Opposition Begins

¹ When Sanballat heard that we were reconstructing the wall, he flew into a rage, became indignant, and mocked the Jews. ² He addressed his allies and the Samaritan officials, saying "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Are they intending to rebuild it by themselves? Do they intend to offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a single day? Can they make stones from this burned out rubble?" ³ Tobiah the Ammonite stood to the side, commenting, "If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse their stone wall!"

⁴ "Listen, our God, because we are being mocked. Let their insults fall back on them, and let them be dragged away as captives into exile. ⁵ Don't atone their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you, because they have demoralized the builders."

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall, completing it halfway up, because the people were committed to working.