Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Hear 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. New Living Translation Then 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! English Standard Version Hear, 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. Berean Standard Bible Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. King James Bible Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: New King James Version Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! New American Standard Bible Hear, O our God, how we are an object of contempt! Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity. NASB 1995 Hear, 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. NASB 1977 Hear, 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. Legacy Standard Bible Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Amplified Bible [And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their taunts on their own heads. Give them up as prey in a land of captivity. Christian Standard Bible Listen, 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. Holman Christian Standard Bible Listen, 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. American Standard Version Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity; Contemporary English Version But I prayed, "Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war. English Revised Version Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity: GOD'S WORD® Translation [Nehemiah prayed,] "Our God, hear us. We are despised. Turn their insults back on them, and let them be robbed in the land where they are prisoners. Good News Translation I prayed, "Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads. Let them be robbed of everything they have, and let them be taken as prisoners to a foreign land. International Standard Version "Listen, our God, because we are being mocked. Let their insults fall back on them, and let them be dragged away as captives into exile. Majority Standard Bible Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. NET Bible Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile! New Heart English Bible "Hear, our God; for we are despised; and turn back their insults on their own head, give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity; Webster's Bible Translation Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: World English Bible “Hear, our God, for we are despised. Turn back their reproach on their own head. Give them up for a plunder in a land of captivity. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionHear, O our God, for we have been despised; and return their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity; Young's Literal Translation Hear, O our God, for we have been despised; and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them for a spoil in a land of captivity; Smith's Literal Translation Hear, O our God; for we were despised: and turn back their reproach upon their head, and wilt thou give them for plunder in the land of captivity? Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleHear thou our God, for we are despised: turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them to be despised in a land of captivity. Catholic Public Domain Version Listen, O our God, for we have become an object of contempt. Turn their reproach upon their own head, and grant that they may be despised in a land of captivity. New American Bible Hear, our God, how we were mocked! Turn back their reproach upon their own heads and deliver them up as plunder in a land of captivity! New Revised Standard Version Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their taunt back on their own heads, and give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleHear, O our God, for we have become ridiculed; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of their captivity: Peshitta Holy Bible Translated “Hear our God, for we are a laughing stock, and return their shame to their heads, and give them as prey in the land of their captivity. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Hear, O our God; for we are despised; and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up to spoiling in a land of captivity; Brenton Septuagint Translation Hear, O our God, for we have become a scorn; and return thou their reproach upon their head, and make them a scorn in a land of captivity, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Work is Ridiculed…3Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!” 4Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.… Cross References Psalm 123:3-4 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. / We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud. Psalm 79:12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors sevenfold the reproach they hurled at You, O Lord. Psalm 44:13-14 You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and derision to those around us. / You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. Psalm 69:19-20 You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You. / Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. Psalm 74:22-23 Rise up, O God; defend Your cause! Remember how the fool mocks You all day long. / Do not disregard the clamor of Your adversaries, the uproar of Your enemies that ascends continually. Psalm 89:50-51 Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants, which I bear in my heart from so many people— / how Your enemies have taunted, O LORD, and have mocked every step of Your anointed one! Isaiah 37:16-20 “O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. / Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to all the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all these countries and their lands. ... Jeremiah 18:19-23 Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying! / Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them. / Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. ... Lamentations 3:61-64 O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me— / the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long. / When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song. ... 2 Kings 19:16-19 Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. / Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. / They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands. ... Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, / as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. Romans 12:19-21 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” / On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, / and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels Treasury of Scripture Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach on their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: Hear Psalm 123:3,4 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt… despised. 1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? Psalm 79:12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. Jump to Previous Captives Captivity Despised Ear Head Heads Hear Insults Plunder Plundered Prey Prisoners Reproach Shame Spoil Spoiling Taunt Themselves Turn Turned Wasting WordsJump to Next Captives Captivity Despised Ear Head Heads Hear Insults Plunder Plundered Prey Prisoners Reproach Shame Spoil Spoiling Taunt Themselves Turn Turned Wasting WordsNehemiah 4 1. While the enemies scoff, Nehemiah prays and continues the work7. Understanding the wrath and secrets of the enemy, he sets a watch 13. He arms the laborers 19. and gives military precepts Hear us, O our God This phrase is a direct appeal to God, emphasizing the personal relationship between Nehemiah and the divine. The Hebrew word for "hear" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which implies not just listening but also understanding and responding. In the context of ancient Israel, calling upon God was a common practice, reflecting a deep trust in His sovereignty and willingness to intervene. This invocation sets the tone for the entire prayer, highlighting the dependence on God amidst adversity. for we are despised Turn their insults back on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity They have provoked thee.--The tone of its holy revenge pervades the Old Testament, and has not altogether departed in the New. Verse 4. - Hear, O our God. Compare Ezra's parenthetic burst of thanksgiving (Ezra 7:27, 28). That which in Ezra was a sudden impulse has become a settled habit with Nehemiah (comp. Nehemiah 5:19; Nehemiah 6:9, 14; Nehemiah 13:14, 22, 29, 31). Turn their reproach upon their own head. The imprecations of Nehemiah are no pattern to Christians, any more than are those of the Psalmists (Psalm 69:22-28; Psalm 79:12; Psalm 109:6-20, etc.); but it cannot be denied that they are imprecations. Before men were taught to "love their enemies," and "bless those that cursed them" (Matthew 5:44), they gave vent to their natural feelings of anger and indignation by the utterance of maledictions. Nehemiah's spirit was hot and hasty; and as he records of himself (Nehemiah 13:25) that he "cursed" certain Jews who had taken foreign wives, so it is not to be wondered at that he uttered imprecations against his persistent enemies.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Hear us,שְׁמַ֤ע (šə·ma‘) Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently O God, אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ (’ĕ·lō·hê·nū) Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative for כִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction we are הָיִ֣ינוּ (hā·yî·nū) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be despised. בוּזָ֔ה (ḇū·zāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 939: Something scorned, an object of contempt Turn וְהָשֵׁ֥ב (wə·hā·šêḇ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again their scorn חֶרְפָּתָ֖ם (ḥer·pā·ṯām) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 2781: Contumely, disgrace, the pudenda back upon אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to their own heads, רֹאשָׁ֑ם (rō·šām) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 7218: The head and let them be taken וּתְנֵ֥ם (ū·ṯə·nêm) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 5414: To give, put, set as plunder לְבִזָּ֖ה (lə·ḇiz·zāh) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 961: Spoil, booty to a land בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 776: Earth, land of captivity. שִׁבְיָֽה׃ (šiḇ·yāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 7633: Captivity, captives Links Nehemiah 4:4 NIVNehemiah 4:4 NLT Nehemiah 4:4 ESV Nehemiah 4:4 NASB Nehemiah 4:4 KJV Nehemiah 4:4 BibleApps.com Nehemiah 4:4 Biblia Paralela Nehemiah 4:4 Chinese Bible Nehemiah 4:4 French Bible Nehemiah 4:4 Catholic Bible OT History: Nehemiah 4:4 Hear our God (Neh Ne) |
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