| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. | 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews |
| 2And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” | 2before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" |
| 3Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” | 3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!" |
| 4Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. | 4Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. |
| 5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. | 5Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders. |
| 6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. | 6So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. |
| 7But 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. | 7When 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. |
| 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. | 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. |
| 9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. | 9So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night. |
| 10In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” | 10In Judah, it was said: The strength of the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never be able to rebuild the wall. |
| 11And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” | 11And our enemies said, "They won't realize it until we're among them and can kill them and stop the work." |
| 12At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” | 12When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, "Everywhere you turn, they attack us." |
| 13So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. | 13So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. |
| 14And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” | 14After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes." |
| 15When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. | 15When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. |
| 16From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, | 16From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah, |
| 17who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. | 17who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. |
| 18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. | 18Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me. |
| 19And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. | 19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall. |
| 20In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” | 20Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!" |
| 21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. | 21So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. |
| 22I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” | 22At that time, I also said to the people, "Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day." |
| 23So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand. | 23And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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