| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked 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 he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” | 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?” |
| 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” | 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, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to 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 their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before 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 built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. | 6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. |
| 7Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became 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. |
| 8and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. | 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. |
| 9Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. | 9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. |
| 10Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build 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.” |
| 11And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” | 11And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” |
| 12So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon 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 positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their 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. |
| 14And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” | 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.” |
| 15And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his 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. |
| 16So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house 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, |
| 17Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. | 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. |
| 18Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside 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 rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on 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, rally to 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 labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. | 21So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. |
| 22At the same time I also said to the people, “Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party 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.” |
| 23So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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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