Parallel Bible results for "nehemiah 4"

Nehemiah 4

New Century Version NCV

1 When Sanballat heard we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, even furious. He made fun of the Jewish people.

2 He said to his friends and those with power in Samaria, "What are these weak Jews doing? Will they rebuild the wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Can they finish it in one day? Can they bring stones back to life from piles of trash and ashes?"

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was next to Sanballat, said, "If a fox climbed up on the stone wall they are building, it would break it down."

4 I prayed, "Hear us, our God. We are hated. Turn the insults of Sanballat and Tobiah back on their own heads. Let them be captured and stolen like valuables.

5 Do not hide their guilt or take away their sins so that you can't see them, because they have insulted the builders."

6 So we rebuilt the wall to half its height, because the people were willing to work.

7 But Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people from Ashdod were very angry when they heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls were continuing and that the holes in the wall were being closed.

8 So they all made plans to come to Jerusalem and fight and stir up trouble.

9 But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch for them day and night.

10 The people of Judah said, "The workers are getting tired. There is so much trash we cannot rebuild the wall."

11 And our enemies said, "The Jews won't know or see anything until we come among them and kill them and stop the work."

12 Then the Jewish people who lived near our enemies came and told us ten times, "Everywhere you turn, the enemy will attack us."

13 So I put people behind the lowest places along the wall -- the open places -- and I put families together with their swords, spears, and bows.

14 Then I looked around and stood up and said to the important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and powerful. Fight for your brothers, your sons and daughters, your wives, and your homes."

15 Then our enemies heard that we knew about their plans and that God had ruined their plans. So we all went back to the wall, each to his own work.

16 From that day on, half my people worked on the wall. The other half was ready with spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stood in back of the people of Judah

17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and carried a weapon with the other.

18 Each builder wore his sword at his side as he worked. The man who blew the trumpet to warn the people stayed next to me.

19 Then I said to the important men, the leaders, and the rest of the people, "This is a very big job. We are spreading out along the wall so that we are far apart.

20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us."

21 So we continued to work with half the men holding spears from sunrise till the stars came out.

22 At that time I also said to the people, "Let every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night. They can be our guards at night and workmen during the day."

23 Neither I, my brothers, my workers, nor the guards with me ever took off our clothes. Each person carried his weapon even when he went for water.

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 But when Sanvalat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious. Greatly enraged, he ridiculed the Judeans;

2 before his kinsmen and the army of Shomron he said, "What are these pathetic Judeans doing? Are they going to rebuild anything they want? Are they going to sacrifice? Are they going to finish today? Are they going to recover useful stones from the piles of rubble, burned rubble at that?"

3 Toviyah the 'Amoni was with him, and he said, "Whatever they're building, why, if even a fox went up it, he'd knock their stone wall down!"

4 Our God, listen! We are being treated with contempt. Turn back their jeers on their own heads; give them over to be plundered in a land of exile.

5 Don't cover their guilt, don't let their sin be wiped out from before you; because they have insulted the builders to their face.

6 So we kept building the wall, which was soon joined together and completed to half its height all the way around; because the people worked with a will.

7 But when Sanvalat, Toviyah, the Arabs, the 'Amonim and the Ashdodim heard that the repairs on the walls of Yerushalayim were going forward, and the breaks were being filled in, they became very angry.

8 All of them together plotted to come and fight against Yerushalayim and thus throw us into confusion.

9 However, we prayed to our God and, because of them, organized a watch against them day and night.

10 Y'hudah was saying, "The strength of the people who carry loads away is starting to fail, and there is so much rubble that we can't build the wall."

11 Our enemies were saying, "They won't know or see anything, until we have already infiltrated them and begun killing them and stopping the work."

12 And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, "From every place you must come back to us."

13 So in the lower parts of the space behind the wall, I stationed men according to their families, with their swords, spears and bows.

14 After inspecting them, I stood up and addressed the nobles, leaders and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them! Remember Adonai, who is great and fearful; and fight for your brothers, sons, daughters, wives and homes."

15 When our enemies heard that the plot was known to us, and God had foiled their plans, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

16 From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah,

17 as they continued building the wall. Those who carried loads held their loads with one hand and carried a weapon in the other.

18 As for the construction-workers, each one had his sword sheathed at his side; that is how they built. The man to sound the alarm on the shofar stayed with me.

19 I said to the nobles, the leaders and the rest of the people, "This is a great work, and it is spread out; we are separated on the wall, one far from another.

20 But wherever you are, when you hear the sound of the shofar, come to that place, to us. Our God will fight for us!"

21 So we kept doing the work. Half of them held spears from daybreak until the stars appeared.

22 Also at that time I told the people, "Let everyone with a servant stay the night within Yerushalayim, so that at night they can be a guard for us, even as they work during the day."

23 I, my kinsmen, my servants and my bodyguards never took off our clothes, and everyone who went to get water took his weapon.