1But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
1參巴拉的惱恨與譏笑當參巴拉聽見我們正在重建城牆，就很忿怒，非常惱恨，並且譏諷猶大人。
2And 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?
2在他的兄弟和撒瑪利亞的軍隊面前，說：“這些軟弱的猶大人在作甚麼呢？想自己修築城牆嗎？想要獻祭嗎？想要在一天之內完成嗎？想要使廢土堆中被火燒過的石頭復活嗎？”
3Now 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.
3亞捫人多比雅在參巴拉旁邊說：“這些人建造的，只要一隻狐狸走上去，石牆就崩塌。”
4Hear, 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:
4“我們的 神啊，求你垂聽，我們被藐視，求你使他們的毀謗歸到他們頭上，使他們在被擄之地成為掠物。
5And 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.
5不要遮蔽他們的罪孽，也不要從你面前塗抹他們的罪惡，因為他們在這些建造的人面前惹你發怒。”
6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
6這樣，我們重建城牆，把全部城牆連接起來，城牆達到一半的高度，因為眾人都全心作工。（本章第1~6節在《馬索拉抄本》為3:33~38）
7But 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,
7敵人密謀攔阻與破壞當參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人聽見耶路撒冷城牆重修工程仍然進行，已經堵塞城牆的缺口，就非常忿怒。（本節在《馬索拉抄本》為4:1）
8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
8他們就一同計劃陰謀要來攻擊耶路撒冷，製造混亂。
9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
9所以我們向我們的 神禱告，又因他們的緣故，設立守衛，日夜防備他們。
10And 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.
10因為有些猶大人說：“搬運的人氣力已經衰弱，但瓦礫仍多，我們不能再建城牆了！”
11And 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.
11同時我們的敵人說：“趁著他們不知道，還未看見之前，我們就進入他們中間，殺死他們，使那工程停止。”
12And 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.
12住在他們附近的一些猶大人，也曾十次前來通知我們說：“他們將從各方上來攻擊你們。”（或譯：“他們十次從各方來對我們說：‘你們來到我們這裡吧！’”本節頗殘缺，意義難確定。）
13Therefore 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.
13所以我分派眾人站崗，在低窪或高處，在城牆後隱蔽處或空曠的地方，叫他們按著家族，帶著刀、槍和弓。
14And 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.
14我巡視之後，就起來，對貴族、官長和其餘的人民說：“不要怕他們，要記得主是偉大可畏的，要為你們的兄弟、兒女、妻子和你們的家爭戰。”
15And 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.
15一面工作、一面防守我們的仇敵既然聽見我們知道了這陰謀， 神也破壞了他們的計謀，就不敢來了。我們全都回到城牆那裡，各人回到原來的工作崗位。
16And 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.
16從那天起，我的僕人一半工作，一半緊握著槍、盾牌、弓和盔甲。眾領袖都站在猶大全家的後面。
17They 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.
17那些在城牆建造城牆，搬運重物的，都是一隻手作工，一隻手緊握兵器。
18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
18建造的人，都腰間佩著刀來建造；吹號角的人在我旁邊。
19And 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.
19我對貴族、官長和其餘的人民說：“這工程浩大，範圍廣闊；我們在城牆上彼此相隔很遠。
20In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
20所以你們無論在甚麼地方，一聽見號角聲，就要集合到我們那裡來。我們的 神必為我們爭戰。”
21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
21我們就這樣作工；一半人緊握著槍，從黎明直到星宿出現的時候。
22Likewise 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.
22那時，我又對眾人說：“各人和他的僕人都要在耶路撒冷城中過夜，這樣他們可以在夜間作我們的守衛，日間工作。”
23So 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.
23這樣，我與我的兄弟、我的僕人和跟隨我的人，都不脫衣服，各人時常右手拿著自己的兵器（原文殘缺，傳統有譯作“各人只有在沐浴時才脫衣服”，或“各人打水的時候，都手裡拿著自己的兵器”）。