Nehemiah 4 NLT ISV Parallel

◄ Nehemiah 4 ►

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1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews,

1 When Sanballat heard that we were reconstructing the wall, he flew into a rage, became indignant, 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 addressed his allies and the Samaritan officials, saying "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Are they intending to rebuild it by themselves? Do they intend to offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a single day? Can they make stones from this burned out rubble?"

3Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

3Tobiah the Ammonite stood to the side, commenting, "If a fox were to jump onto what they're building, it would collapse their stone wall!"

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!

4"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.

5Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”

5Don't atone their iniquity, and don't let their sin be blotted out from before you, because 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 rebuilt the wall, completing it halfway up, because the people were committed to working.

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.

7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair work on the Jerusalem wall was progressing and that its breaches were being repaired, they flew into a rage.

8They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.

8So they all conspired together to invade and fight against Jerusalem, creating confusion there.

9But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

9But we prayed to our God. We also set up guards day and night because of them.

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.”

10Meanwhile, the people of Judah said, "The builders are tired and there's so much rubble that we can't reconstruct 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, "Before they notice or see us, we'll penetrate their midst, kill them, and stop 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!”

12The Jews who lived near them kept coming to us, reporting at least ten times, "They'll attack us from every direction."

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.

13So I stationed the people by families behind the wall in the lower exposed areas, equipping them 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!”

14Looking things over, I stood up and spoke to the officials, the military leaders, and the rest of the people: "Don't fear them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord. Fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

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.

15Our opponents heard that we had learned about them, that God had brought their plans to failure, and that each and every one of us had come to work on the wall.

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 helpers engaged in the work while the other half kept spears, shields, bows, and armor ready. The senior officials backed all of the Judeans

17who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.

17who worked on the wall. Those who carried building materials worked with one hand, carrying a spear in the other.

18All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm.

18Each builder worked with a sword strapped to his side, while a trumpeter remained beside me to sound an alarm.

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 told the officials, rulers, and the rest of the people, "The project is large and extensive, and we are separated from each other on the wall,

20When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”

20so wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, come over to us, and 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 worked hard, half of us holding spears from dawn to dusk.

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 the same time I told the people, "Let's have everyone sleep at night inside Jerusalem with their servants, so they can guard us at night and work during the 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.

23No one—neither I, my allies, my servants, nor the bodyguards who accompanied me—changed clothes. Everyone carried a weapon even while going for water.

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