| English Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. | 1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and 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?” | 2He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" |
| 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!” | 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building-- if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!" |
| 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. | 4Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in 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 forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized 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 built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. |
| 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. | 7Now 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. |
| 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. | 8All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. |
| 9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. | 9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against 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.” | 10Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable 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.” | 11Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to 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 near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn," |
| 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. | 13then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in 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.” | 14When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and 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 houses." |
| 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 it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. |
| 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 servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house 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. | 17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. |
| 18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. | 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near 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. | 19I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. |
| 20In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” | 20"At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, 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 carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. |
| 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 each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer 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. | 23So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water. |
| 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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