| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, |
| 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? | 2and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?" |
| 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. | 3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!" |
| 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: | 4Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. |
| 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. | 5Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. |
| 6So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work. | 6So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. |
| 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, | 7But 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. |
| 8And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. | 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. |
| 9Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. | 9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. |
| 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. | 10Meanwhile, 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." |
| 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. | 11Also 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." |
| 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. | 12Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." |
| 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. | 13Therefore 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. |
| 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. | 14After 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." |
| 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. | 15When 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. |
| 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. | 16From 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 |
| 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. | 17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, |
| 18For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. | 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. |
| 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. | 19Then 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. |
| 20In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. | 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" |
| 21So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. | 21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. |
| 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. | 22At 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." |
| 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. | 23Neither 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. |
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