( 4: 1) When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very angry.

参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人、亚实突人听见修造耶路撒冷城墙，着手进行堵塞破裂的地方，就甚发怒。

参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人和亚实突人听见耶路撒冷城墙正在修造，破裂的地方开始进行修补，就非常愤怒。

参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人和亚实突人听见耶路撒冷城墙正在修造，破裂的地方开始进行修补，就非常愤怒。

参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人和亚实突人听说耶路撒冷的城墙正在重建、缺口正在填补，非常愤怒，

当参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亚扪人、亚实突人听见耶路撒冷城墙重修工程仍然进行，已经堵塞城墙的缺口，就非常忿怒。（本节在《马索拉文本》为4:1）

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，着手進行堵塞破裂的地方，就甚發怒。

參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人和亞實突人聽見耶路撒冷城牆正在修造，破裂的地方開始進行修補，就非常憤怒。

參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人和亞實突人聽見耶路撒冷城牆正在修造，破裂的地方開始進行修補，就非常憤怒。

參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人、亞捫人和亞實突人聽說耶路撒冷的城牆正在重建、缺口正在填補，非常憤怒，

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《馬索拉文本》為4:1）

參巴拉、多比雅、亞拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人、聽說修復耶路撒冷城牆的事節節進行着，而破口的地方都開始堵塞住了，他們就非常惱怒。

參巴拉、多比雅、及亞拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人、聞建耶路撒冷城垣、厥工進行、破壞之處修補、則怒甚、

撒八拉、多比、及亞喇伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人、聞耶路撒冷民建邑垣、修損缺、則怒甚、

參巴拉、多比雅、亞拉伯人、亞捫人、亞實突人、聞耶路撒冷城垣被建、損缺之處修補、則怒甚、

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.

But Sanballat and Tobiah heard that Jerusalem’s walls continued to be repaired. The Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard about it too. They heard that the gaps in the wall were being filled in. So they were very angry.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious.

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious.

Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.

Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,

But it came to pass that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;

When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious.

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,

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;

So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus.

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.

This is what the LORD says:“ Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes– make that four!– I will not revoke my decree of judgment. They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory.

( 3: 33) Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews,

the foreigners living in Egypt; all the kings of the land of Uz; all the kings of the land of the Philistines, the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod;

Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It is being built with large stones, and timbers are being placed in the walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in their hands.

Ashkelon will see and be afraid; Gaza will be in great anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope will have been dried up. Gaza will lose her king, and Ashkelon will no longer be inhabited.A mongrel people will live in Ashdod, for I will greatly humiliate the Philistines.

But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all this, they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said,“ What is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon.

Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!”Now when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

The LORD was furious with Israel and turned them over to the Philistines and Ammonites.They ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites that eighteenth year– that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead.The Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight with Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. Israel suffered greatly.The Israelites cried out for help to the LORD:“ We have sinned against you. We abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals.”The LORD said to the Israelites,“ Did I not deliver you from Egypt, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,the Sidonians, Amalek, and Midian when they oppressed you? You cried out for help to me, and I delivered you from their power.But since you abandoned me and worshiped other gods, I will not deliver you again.Go and cry for help to the gods you have chosen! Let them deliver you from trouble!”But the Israelites said to the LORD,“ We have sinned. You do to us as you see fit, but deliver us today!”They threw away the foreign gods they owned and worshiped the LORD. Finally the LORD grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.The Ammonites assembled and camped in Gilead; the Israelites gathered together and camped in Mizpah.The leaders of Gilead said to one another,“ Who is willing to lead the charge against the Ammonites? He will become the leader of all who live in Gilead!”

Then the local people began to discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of King Darius of Persia.At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.And during the reign of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first written in Aramaic but then translated.[ Aramaic:]Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues– the judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa( that is, the Elamites),and the rest of nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates.( This is a copy of the letter they sent to him:)“ To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-Euphrates:Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will suffer loss.In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, we are sending the king this informationso that he may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed.We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”

And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them,“ The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”

Uzziah attacked the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and throughout Philistine territory.God helped him in his campaigns against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites.The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached the border of Egypt, for he grew in power.

Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.David said,“ I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites,the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun,“ Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed, and then sent them away.Messengers told David what had happened, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said,“ Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”

Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod( or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned) and were unable to speak the language of Judah.

Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, attacked Jehoshaphat.

Make this announcement in the fortresses of Ashdod and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt. Say this:“ Gather on the hills around Samaria! Observe the many acts of violence taking place within the city, the oppressive deeds occurring in it.”

Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king, saying,“ Why have you come against me to attack my land?”The Ammonite king said to Jephthah’s messengers,“ Because Israel stole my land when they came up from Egypt– from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and as far west as the Jordan. Now return it peaceably!”Jephthah sent messengers back to the Ammonite kingand said to him,“ This is what Jephthah says,‘ Israel did not steal the land of Moab and the land of the Ammonites.When they left Egypt, Israel traveled through the desert as far as the Red Sea and then came to Kadesh.Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying,“ Please allow us to pass through your land.” But the king of Edom rejected the request. Israel sent the same request to the king of Moab, but he was unwilling to cooperate. So Israel stayed at Kadesh.Then Israel went through the desert and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab. They traveled east of the land of Moab and camped on the other side of the Arnon River; they did not go through Moabite territory( the Arnon was Moab’s border).Israel sent messengers to King Sihon, the Amorite king who ruled in Heshbon, and said to him,“ Please allow us to pass through your land to our land.”But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. He assembled his whole army, camped in Jahaz, and fought with Israel.The LORD God of Israel handed Sihon and his whole army over to Israel and they defeated them. Israel took all the land of the Amorites who lived in that land.They took all the Amorite territory from the Arnon River on the south to the Jabbok River on the north, from the desert in the east to the Jordan in the west.Since the LORD God of Israel has driven out the Amorites before his people Israel, do you think you can just take it from them?You have the right to take what Chemosh your god gives you, but we will take the land of all whom the LORD our God has driven out before us.Are you really better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he dare to quarrel with Israel? Did he dare to fight with them?Israel has been living in Heshbon and its nearby towns, in Aroer and its nearby towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon for three hundred years! Why did you not reclaim them during that time?I have not done you wrong, but you are doing wrong by attacking me. May the LORD, the Judge, judge this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites!’”But the Ammonite king disregarded the message sent by Jephthah.The LORD’s spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, saying,“ If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites– he will belong to the LORD and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”Jephthah approached the Ammonites to fight with them, and the LORD handed them over to him.He defeated them from Aroer all the way to Minnith– twenty cities in all, even as far as Abel Keramim! He wiped them out! The Israelites humiliated the Ammonites.When Jephthah came home to Mizpah, there was his daughter hurrying out to meet him, dancing to the rhythm of tambourines. She was his only child; except for her he had no son or daughter.When he saw her, he ripped his clothes and said,“ Oh no! My daughter! You have completely ruined me! You have brought me disaster! I made an oath to the LORD, and I cannot break it.”She said to him,“ My father, since you made an oath to the LORD, do to me as you promised. After all, the LORD vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.”She then said to her father,“ Please grant me this one wish. For two months allow me to walk through the hills with my friends and mourn my virginity.”He said,“ You may go.” He permitted her to leave for two months. She went with her friends and mourned her virginity as she walked through the hills.After two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. She died a virgin. Her tragic death gave rise to a custom in Israel.Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them.

I will remove the ruler from Ashdod, the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon. I will strike Ekron with my hand; the rest of the Philistines will also die.” The sovereign LORD has spoken!

Say to the Ammonites,‘ Hear the word of the sovereign LORD: This is what the sovereign LORD says: You said“ Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile.So take note, I am about to make you slaves of the tribes of the east. They will make camps among you and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk.I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the LORD.For this is what the sovereign LORD says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with intense scorn over the land of Israel,take note, I have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands. I will destroy you; then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

The LORD sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, as he had warned he would do through his servants the prophets.