| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, | 1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked 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?" | 2He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" |
| 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!" | 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building-- if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!" |
| 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, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. |
| 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 forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized 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 the whole 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. | 7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. |
| 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. | 8All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. |
| 9But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. | 9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard 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." | 10Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable 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." | 11Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." |
| 12Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." | 12When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn," |
| 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. | 13then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and 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." | 14When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and 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 houses." |
| 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, then all of us returned to the wall, each one 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 carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were 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, | 17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. |
| 18and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. | 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near 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. | 19I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, 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!" | 20"At whatever place 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 carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. |
| 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." | 22At that time I also said to the people, "Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer 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, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water. |
| 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. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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