Nehemiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 4 ▼
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BISHOPS
Bishops' Bible of 1568
ESV
English Standard Version
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1 But when Sanaballat hearde that we buylded the wall, he was wroth in him selfe, and toke great indignation, and mocked the Iewes: Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,
2 And sayde before his brethren and the souldiers of Samaria: what do these impotent Iewes? will the heathen suffer them? shall they offer? shal they perfourme it in one day? shal they make the stones whole againe that are brought to dust and brent? And 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?” and 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?”
3 And Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and sayde: Though they buyld, yet if a foxe go vp, he shall breake downe their stony wall. Tobiah 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!” Tobiah 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!”
4 Heare O thou our God, for we are despised, turne their shame vpon their owne head, & geue them ouer into despising in the lande of their captiuitie. Hear, 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. Hear 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.
5 Couer not their wickednesse, and let not their sinne be put out in thy presence: for they haue prouoked the buylders. Do 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. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
6 And so buylded we the wall, and it was ioyned whole together vnto the halfe heyght thereof: And the people were minded to labour. So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanaballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, Ammonites, and Asdodites, heard that the walles of Hierusalem were made vp, & that the breaches began to be stopped, they were very wroth, 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, 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 And conspired all together to come and fight against Hierusalem, and to make an hinderaunce therin. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
9 Neuerthelesse, we made our prayer vnto our God, and set watchmen by them day and night, because of them. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
10 And Iuda sayde: The strength of the bearers is feeble, and there is yet much more morter, and we are not able to buylde on the wall. In 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.” 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 And our aduersaries sayde: They shall not knowe, neither see, till we come in the middes among them, and slay them, and cause the worke to ceasse. And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” 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 But when the Iewes which dwelt beside them, came, they told vs as good as ten times, that in all places where ye go vnto, they are appoynted to fal vpon vs. At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
13 Therefore set I the people after their kinredes, with their swordes, speares, and bowes, beneath in the lowe places behinde the wall vpon the toppes of the stones. So 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. 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 And I loked, and gat me vp, and sayde vnto the chiefe men, to the rulers, and to the other people, Be not ye afrayde of them: but thinke rather vpon the great Lorde whiche ought to be feared, and fight for your brethre, your sonnes, your daughters, your wiues, & your houses. And 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.” 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 Neuerthelesse, when our enemies heard that we had gotten worde of it, God brought their counsell to naught: and we turned all againe to the wall, euery one vnto his labour. When 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. 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 And from that time foorth, the halfe part of the young men dyd the labour, and the other halfe part of them helde the speares, shieldes, bowes, and brestplates: and the rulers stoode behinde all the house of Iuda. From 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, 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 They which buylded on the wall and they that bare burthens, and those that laded them, with one hande did euery one his worke, and with the other helde his weapon. who 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. who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other,
18 For euery one that buylded had his sword girded by his thingh, and so buylded they: And he that blewe the trumpet was beside me. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 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 And I saide vnto the principall men, to the rulers, and to the other people: The worke is great and large, & we are seperated vpon the wall one farre from another. And 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. 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 Loke in what place therefore ye heare the noyse of the trumpet, resort ye thither vnto vs, and our God shall fight for vs: In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 And we wil be labouring in the worke. And the halfe part of them helde their speares from the morning spring, tyll the starres came foorth. So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.
22 And at the same time saide I vnto the people: Let euery one with his seruaut lodge within Hierusalem, that in the night season we may watch, and labour on the day time. I 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.” 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 As for me and my brethren, my seruauntes, and the men of the watch which folowed me, we put neuer of our clothes, saue onely because of the wasshing. So 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. 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.
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