尼希米記4:7-23

4:7 參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人聽見修造耶路撒冷城牆，著手進行堵塞破裂的地方，就甚發怒。
4:8 大家同謀要來攻擊耶路撒冷，使城內擾亂。
4:9 然而，我們禱告我們的上帝，又因他們的緣故，就派人看守，晝夜防備。
4:10 猶大人說：「灰土尚多，扛抬的人力氣已經衰敗，所以我們不能建造城牆。」
4:11 我們的敵人且說：「趁他們不知不見，我們進入他們中間，殺他們，使工作止住。」
4:12 那靠近敵人居住的猶大人十次從各處來見我們，說：「你們必要回到我們那裡。」
4:13 所以我使百姓各按宗族拿刀、拿槍、拿弓站在城牆後邊低窪的空處。
4:14 我察看了，就起來對貴冑、官長，和其餘的人說：「不要怕他們！當記念主是大而可畏的。你們要為弟兄、兒女、妻子、家產爭戰。」
4:15 仇敵聽見我們知道他們的心意，見上帝也破壞他們的計謀，就不來了。我們都回到城牆那裡，各做各的工。
4:16 從那日起，我的僕人一半做工，一半拿槍、拿盾牌、拿弓、穿（或譯：拿）鎧甲，官長都站在猶大眾人的後邊。
4:17 修造城牆的，扛抬材料的，都一手做工一手拿兵器。
4:18 修造的人都腰間佩刀修造，吹角的人在我旁邊。
4:19 我對貴冑、官長，和其餘的人說：「這工程浩大，我們在城牆上相離甚遠；
4:20 你們聽見角聲在哪裡，就聚集到我們那裡去。我們的上帝必為我們爭戰。」
4:21 於是，我們做工，一半拿兵器，從天亮直到星宿出現的時候。
4:22 那時，我又對百姓說：「各人和他的僕人當在耶路撒冷住宿，好在夜間保守我們，白晝做工。」
4:23 這樣，我和弟兄僕人，並跟從我的護兵都不脫衣服，出去打水也帶兵器。

 

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³ Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.^[c]

 

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    尼希米建造城牆，不只有外患，也有內憂。敵人在外部破壞，內部是最惰性。也因此尼希米不僅要面對外敵的破壞，也要對內鼓勵弟兄姊妹。而他們這要的刻苦耐勞，上帝也幫他們抵擋外敵，而他們自己也一刻不懈怠！

 

    其實我們在教會的建造也是如此，要面對世界來的攻擊和影響，也要基地弟兄姊妹在靈性上的追求。也因為這樣，我們要不斷提醒弟兄姊妹：要面對世界來的征戰，要遵主為大；對內要加強靈修生活的建立，勝過自己的軟弱！

 

    相信我們這樣的刻苦與努力，更是需要聖靈的扶持！所以在禱告中不斷的求上帝加添心力，讓聖靈的大能不斷支持我們，讓我們盼望上帝的國快快實現，得著在基督裡的榮耀到永遠！