Nehemiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 4 ▼
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1 When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he became enraged and made fun of 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 In front of his allies and the army from Samaria, he said, |What do these miserable Jews think they're doing? Can they rebuild it by themselves? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in a day? Will they get the stones out of the rubbish heaps, burned as these stones are, and give them new strength?| 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 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside Sanballat, said, |Even a fox would make their stone wall collapse if it walked on top of what they're building!| 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 [Nehemiah prayed,] |Our God, hear us. We are despised. Turn their insults back on them, and let them be robbed in the land where they are prisoners. 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 Don't ignore their guilt, and don't let their sins disappear from your records. They have insulted you in front of these builders.| 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 So we rebuilt the wall, which was rebuilt to about half its [original] height. The people worked with determination. 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 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod heard that the repair work on the walls of Jerusalem was making progress and that the gaps were being filled in, they became furious. 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 All of them plotted to attack Jerusalem to create confusion. 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 But we prayed to our God and set guards to protect us day and night. 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 the people of Judah said, |The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can't continue to rebuild 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 Our enemies said, |Before they know what is happening or see a thing, we will be right in the middle of them. We'll kill them and bring the work to an end.| 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 Jews who were living near our enemies warned us ten times that our enemies would attack us from every direction. 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 That is why I positioned people by their families behind the wall where it was lowest and most exposed. The people were armed with swords, spears, 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 I looked them over and proceeded to tell the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, |Don't be afraid of our enemies. Remember how great and awe-inspiring the LORD is. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.| 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 When our enemies heard that we knew about their plots and that God had prevented their plans from being successful, we all went back to the work on the wall. Each person performed his own job. 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 From that day on, half of my men worked on the wall, and the other half were wearing body armor and holding spears, shields, and bows. The leaders stood behind all the Judeans 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 who were rebuilding the wall. The workers who were carrying loads did the work with one hand and held their weapons with the other, 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 and each builder had his sword fastened to his side. The man who was supposed to sound the trumpet alarm was with 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 I told the nobles, the leaders, and the rest of the people, |So much work has to be done in different places that we are widely separated from one another on the wall. 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 When you hear the trumpet, assemble around me. Our God will fight for us!| 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 So we continued to work. Half of us held spears from early dawn until the stars came 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 At that time I told the people, |Every man and his servant should stay overnight in Jerusalem so that we can set a guard at night and work during the day.| 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 My brothers, my servants, and the guards assigned to me never changed their clothes. Neither did I. We each kept our weapons at hand. 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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