Nehemiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 4 ▼
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1 Now it happened that, when Sanballat had heard that we were building the wall, he was very angry. And having been moved exceedingly, he ridiculed the Jews. 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 he said, before his brothers and a crowd of the Samaritans: “What are the foolish Jews doing? Can it be that the Gentiles will allow them? Will they sacrifice and finish in one day? Do they have the ability to make stones out of piles of dust that have been burned up?” 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 Then too, Tobiah, an Ammonite, his assistant, said: “Let them build. When the fox climbs, he will leap over their stone 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 Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity. 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 May you not conceal their iniquity, and may their sin not be wiped away, before your face, for they have ridiculed those who are building. 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 we built the wall, and we joined it together, even to the unfinished portion. And the heart of the people was stirred up for the work. 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 Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites had heard that the walls of Jerusalem had been closed, and that the breaches had begun to be repaired, they were exceedingly 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, 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 they all gathered together, so that they might go forth and fight against Jerusalem, and so that they might prepare ambushes. 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 And we prayed to our God, and we stationed guards upon the wall, day and night, against 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 Then Judah said: “The strength of those who carry has diminished, and the amount of material is very great, and so we will not be able to build 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 enemies said: “Let them neither know, nor realize, until we arrive in their midst, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.” 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 Now it happened that, on ten occasions, some Jews arrived who were living near them, from all the places from which they came to us, and they told us this. 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 So I stationed the people in order, in places behind the wall, all around it, with their swords, and lances, and bows. 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 gazed around, and I rose up. And I said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “Do not be afraid before their face. Remember the great and terrible Lord, and fight on behalf of your brothers, your sons and your daughters, and your wives and your households.” 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 Then it happened that, when our enemies had heard that it had been reported to us, God defeated their counsel. And we all returned to the walls, each one to his own work. 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 it happened that, from that day, half of their young men were doing the work, and half were prepared for war with lances, and shields, and bows, and armor. And the leaders were behind them in all the house of Judah. 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 As for those building the wall, and carrying the burdens, and setting things in place: one of his hands was doing the work, and the other was holding a sword. 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 each one of the builders was girded with a sword at the waist. And they were building, and they were sounding a trumpet 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 said to the nobles, and to the magistrates, and to the rest of the common people: “The work is great and wide, and we are separated on the wall far from one 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 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rush to that place for us. Our God will fight on our behalf. 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 so let us accomplish the work. And let one half part of us hold spears, from the ascent of dawn until the stars come out.” 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 Also at that time, I said to the people: “Let each one with his servant remain in the midst of Jerusalem. And let us take turns, throughout the night and day, in doing the work.” 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 But I and my brothers, and my servants, and the guards who were behind me, we did not take off our clothes; each one only removed his clothes to wash. 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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