| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. | 1When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked 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?” | 2before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" |
| 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.” | 3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would 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! | 4Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. |
| 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 or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked 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 rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. |
| 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, | 7When Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they became furious. |
| 8and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. | 8They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. |
| 9Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. | 9So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of 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 the laborer fails, since there is so much rubble. We will never 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 won't know or see anything until we're among them and can 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.” | 12When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, "Everywhere you turn, they attack 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 I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and 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.” | 14After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and 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 we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. |
| 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 men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people 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 rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a 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. | 18Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter 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. | 19Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall. |
| 20Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” | 20Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, 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 continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak 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.” | 22At that time, I also said to the people, "Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work 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. | 23And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing. |
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