| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked 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. |
| 2saying 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?” | 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 standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” | 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!" |
| 4Then 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! | 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 ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” | 5Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders. |
| 6At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. | 6So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. |
| 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. | 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 made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. | 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 guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. | 9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. |
| 10Then 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.” | 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." |
| 11Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” | 11Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." |
| 12The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and 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," |
| 13So 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. | 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. |
| 14Then 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!” | 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 knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. | 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. |
| 16But 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 | 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. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. | 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. |
| 18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. | 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. |
| 19Then 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. | 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. |
| 20When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then 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." |
| 21We worked early and late, from sunrise to sunset. And half the men were always on guard. | 21So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. |
| 22I 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. | 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." |
| 23During 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. | 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. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | 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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