| New International Version | English Standard Version |
| 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, | 1Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. |
| 2and 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?" | 2And 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?” |
| 3Tobiah 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!" | 3Tobiah 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!” |
| 4Hear 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. | 4Hear, 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. |
| 5Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. | 5Do 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. |
| 6So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. | 6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. |
| 7But 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. | 7But 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. |
| 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. | 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. |
| 9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. | 9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. |
| 10Meanwhile, 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." | 10In 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.” |
| 11Also 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." | 11And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” |
| 12Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." | 12At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” |
| 13Therefore 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. | 13So 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. |
| 14After 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." | 14And 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.” |
| 15When 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. | 15When 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. |
| 16From 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 | 16From 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, |
| 17who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, | 17who 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. |
| 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. | 18And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. |
| 19Then 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. | 19And 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. |
| 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" | 20In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” |
| 21So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. | 21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. |
| 22At 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." | 22I 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.” |
| 23Neither 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. | 23So 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. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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