Nehemiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 4 ▼
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1 When Sanballat heard that we were reconstructing the wall, he flew into a rage, became indignant, and mocked 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 He addressed his allies and the Samaritan officials, saying |What are these pathetic Jews doing? Are they intending to rebuild it by themselves? Do they intend to offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a single day? Can they make stones from this burned out rubble?| 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 stood to the side, commenting, |If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse 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, our God, because we are being mocked. Let their insults fall back on them, and let them be dragged away as captives into exile. 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 atone their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you, because they have demoralized the 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, completing it halfway up, because the people were committed to working. 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 Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair work on the Jerusalem wall was progressing and that its breaches were being repaired, they flew into a rage. 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 So they all conspired together to invade and fight against Jerusalem, creating confusion there. 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. We also set up guards 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 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said, |The builders are tired and there's so much rubble that we can't reconstruct 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 notice or see us, we'll penetrate their midst, kill them, and stop the work!| 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 The Jews who lived near them kept coming to us, reporting at least ten times, |They'll 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 So I stationed the people by families behind the wall in the lower exposed areas, equipping them with their 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 Looking things over, I stood up and spoke to the officials, the military leaders, and the rest of the people: |Don't fear them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord. 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 Our opponents heard that we had learned about them, that God had brought their plans to failure, and that each and every one of us had come to work on the wall. 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 helpers engaged in the work while the other half kept spears, shields, bows, and armor ready. The senior officials backed all of 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 worked on the wall. Those who carried building materials worked with one hand, carrying a spear in 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 Each builder worked with a sword strapped to his side, while a trumpeter remained beside me to sound an alarm. 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 officials, rulers, and the rest of the people, |The project is large and extensive, and we are separated from each other 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 so wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, come over to us, and 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 worked hard, half of us holding spears from dawn to dusk. 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 the same time I told the people, |Let's have everyone sleep at night inside Jerusalem with their servants, so they can guard us 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 No one—neither I, my allies, my servants, nor the bodyguards who accompanied me—changed clothes. Everyone carried a weapon even while going for water. 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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