Nehemiah 4
WEB·Nehemiah 4
1But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and was very indignant, and mocked the Jews.
KJVBut it came to pass, that when SanballatH5571 heardH8085(H8804) that we buildedH1129(H8802) the wallH2346, he was wrothH2734(H8799), and took greatH7235(H8687) indignationH3707(H8799), and mockedH3932(H8686) the JewsH3064.
2 He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, since they are burned?”
KJVAnd he spakeH559(H8799) beforeH6440 his brethrenH251 and the armyH2428 of SamariaH8111, and saidH559(H8799), What doH6213(H8802) these feebleH537 JewsH3064? will they fortifyH5800(H8799) themselves? will they sacrificeH2076(H8799)? will they make an endH3615(H8762) in a dayH3117? will they reviveH2421(H8762) the stonesH68 out of the heapsH6194 of the rubbishH6083 which are burnedH8313(H8803)?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, “What they are building, if a fox climbed up it, he would break down their stone wall.”
KJVNow TobiahH2900 the AmmoniteH5984 was by himH681, and he saidH559(H8799), Even that which they buildH1129(H8802), if a foxH7776 go upH5927(H8799), he shall even break downH6555(H8804) their stoneH68 wallH2346.
4 “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.
KJVHearH8085(H8798), O our GodH430; for we are despisedH939: and turnH7725(H8685) their reproachH2781 upon their own headH7218, and giveH5414(H8798) them for a preyH961 in the landH776 of captivityH7633:
5 Don’t cover their iniquity. Don’t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have insulted the builders.”
KJVAnd coverH3680(H8762) not their iniquityH5771, and let not their sinH2403 be blotted outH4229(H8735) from beforeH6440 thee: for they have provoked thee to angerH3707(H8689) before the buildersH1129(H8802).
6 So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
KJVSo builtH1129(H8799) we the wallH2346; and all the wallH2346 was joined togetherH7194(H8735) unto the halfH2677 thereof: for the peopleH5971 had a mindH3820 to workH6213(H8800).
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be filled, they were very angry;
KJVBut it came to pass, that when SanballatH5571, and TobiahH2900, and the ArabiansH6163, and the AmmonitesH5984, and the AshdoditesH796, heardH8085(H8804) that the wallsH2346 of JerusalemH3389 were made upH724H5927(H8804), and that the breachesH6555(H8803) beganH2490(H8689) to be stoppedH5640(H8736), then they were veryH3966 wrothH2734(H8799),
8 and they all conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion among us.
KJVAnd conspiredH7194(H8799) all of them togetherH3162 to comeH935(H8800) and to fightH3898(H8736) against JerusalemH3389, and to hinderH6213(H8800)H8442 it.
9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night because of them.
KJVNevertheless we made our prayerH6419(H8691) unto our GodH430, and setH5975(H8686) a watchH4929 against them dayH3119 and nightH3915, becauseH6440 of them.
10 Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is fading and there is much rubble, so that we are not able to build the wall.”
KJVAnd JudahH3063 saidH559(H8799), The strengthH3581 of the bearers of burdensH5449 is decayedH3782(H8804), and there is muchH7235(H8687) rubbishH6083; so that we are not ableH3201(H8799) to buildH1129(H8800) the wallH2346.
11 Our adversaries said, “They will not know or see, until we come in among them and kill them, and cause the work to cease.”
KJVAnd our adversariesH6862 saidH559(H8799), They shall not knowH3045(H8799), neither seeH7200(H8799), till we comeH935(H8799) in the midstH8432 amongH8432 them, and slayH2026(H8804) them, and cause the workH4399 to ceaseH7673(H8689).
12 When the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
KJVAnd it came to pass, that when the JewsH3064 which dweltH3427(H8802) by themH681 cameH935(H8804), they saidH559(H8799) unto us tenH6235 timesH6471, From all placesH4725 whence ye shall returnH7725(H8799) unto us they will be upon you.
13 Therefore I set guards in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in the open places. I set the people by family groups with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
KJVTherefore setH5975(H8686) I in the lowerH8482 placesH4725 behindH310 the wallH2346, and on the higher placesH6706(H8675)H6708, I even setH5975(H8686) the peopleH5971 after their familiesH4940 with their swordsH2719, their spearsH7420, and their bowsH7198.
14 I looked, and rose up, and said to the nobles, to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, “Don’t 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.”
KJVAnd I lookedH7200(H8799), and rose upH6965(H8799), and saidH559(H8799) unto the noblesH2715, and to the rulersH5461, and to the restH3499 of the peopleH5971, Be not ye afraidH3372(H8799) of themH6440: rememberH2142(H8798) the LordH136, which is greatH1419 and terribleH3372(H8737), and fightH3898(H8734) for your brethrenH251, your sonsH1121, and your daughtersH1323, your wivesH802, and your housesH1004.
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
KJVAnd it came to pass, when our enemiesH341(H8802) heardH8085(H8804) that it was knownH3045(H8738) unto us, and GodH430 had broughtH6565 their counselH6098 to noughtH6565(H8686), that we returnedH7725(H8799) all of us to the wallH2346, every oneH376 unto his workH4399.
16 From that time forth, half of my servants did the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
KJVAnd it came to pass from that timeH3117 forth, that the halfH2677 of my servantsH5288 wroughtH6213(H8802) in the workH4399, and the other halfH2677 of them heldH2388(H8688) both the spearsH7420, the shieldsH4043, and the bowsH7198, and the habergeonsH8302; and the rulersH8269 were behindH310 all the houseH1004 of JudahH3063.
17 Those who built the wall, and those who bore burdens loaded themselves; everyone with one of his hands did the work, and with the other held his weapon.
KJVThey which buildedH1129(H8802) on the wallH2346, and they that bareH5375(H8802) burdensH5447, with those that ladedH6006(H8802), every one with oneH259 of his handsH3027 wroughtH6213(H8802) in the workH4399, and with the otherH259 hand heldH2388(H8688) a weaponH7973.
18 Among the builders, everyone wore his sword at his side, and so built. He who sounded the trumpet was by me.
KJVFor the buildersH1129(H8802), every oneH376 had his swordH2719 girdedH631(H8803) by his sideH4975, and so buildedH1129(H8802). And he that soundedH8628(H8802) the trumpetH7782 was by meH681.
19 I said to the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another.
KJVAnd I saidH559(H8799) unto the noblesH2715, and to the rulersH5461, and to the restH3499 of the peopleH5971, The workH4399 is greatH7235(H8687) and largeH7342, and we are separatedH6504(H8737) upon the wallH2346, oneH376 far fromH7350 anotherH251.
20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally there to us. Our God will fight for us.”
KJVIn what placeH4725 therefore ye hearH8085(H8799) the soundH6963 of the trumpetH7782, resortH6908(H8735) ye thither unto us: our GodH430 shall fightH3898(H8735) for us.
21 So we did the work. Half of the people held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.
KJVSo we labouredH6213(H8802) in the workH4399: and halfH2677 of them heldH2388(H8688) the spearsH7420 from the risingH5927(H8800) of the morningH7837 till the starsH3556 appearedH3318(H8800).
22 Likewise at the same time I said to the people, “Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and may labor in the day.”
KJVLikewise at the same timeH6256 saidH559(H8804) I unto the peopleH5971, Let every oneH376 with his servantH5288 lodgeH3885(H8799) withinH8432 JerusalemH3389, that in the nightH3915 they may be a guardH4929 to us, and labourH4399 on the dayH3117.
23 So neither I, nor my brothers, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes. Everyone took his weapon to the water.
KJVSo neither I, nor my brethrenH251, nor my servantsH5288, nor the menH582 of the guardH4929 which followedH310 me, none of usH587 put offH6584(H8802) our clothesH899, saving that every oneH376 put them offH7973 for washingH4325.
Nehemiah 4
Section titles come from the Biblion commentary, not from Scripture.
You can also read or listen to the Introduction to the book of Nehemiah.
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