Nehemiah 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Nehemiah 4 ▼
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1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage 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 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” 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 standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” 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 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 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 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of 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 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. 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 and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were 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 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into 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 guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. 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 began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” 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 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their 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 the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!” 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 placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, 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 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and 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 of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our 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 But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people 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 who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a 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 All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the 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 Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along 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 blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then 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 We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. 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 I also told everyone living outside the walls to stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty 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 During this time, none of us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me—ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went 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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