Nehemiah 4
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
4 But when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and in a great rage, and he ridiculed the Jews.
2 And he said before his brethren and the army of Samaria, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore things [at will and by themselves]? Will they [try to bribe their God] with sacrifices? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him, and he said, What they build—if a fox climbs upon it, he will break down their stone wall.
4 [And Nehemiah prayed] Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their taunts upon their own heads, and give them for a prey in a land of their captivity.
5 Cover not their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have vexed [with alarm] the builders and provoked You.
6 So we built the wall, and all [of it] was joined together to half its height, for the people had a heart and mind to work.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were going up and that the breaches were being closed, they were very angry.
8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem, to injure and cause confusion and failure in it.
9 But because of them we made our prayer to our God and set a watch against them day and night.
10 And [the leaders of] Judah said, The strength of the burden bearers is weakening, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall.
11 And our enemies said, They will not know or see till we come into their midst and kill them and stop the work.
12 And when the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, You must return [to guard our little villages]; from all places where they dwell they will be upon us.
13 So I set [armed men] behind the wall in places where it was least protected; I even thus used the people as families with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 I looked [them over] and rose up and said to the nobles and officials and the other people, Do not be afraid of the enemy; [earnestly] remember the Lord and imprint Him [on your minds], great and terrible, and [take from Him courage to] fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.
15 And when our enemies heard that their plot was known to us and that God had frustrated their purpose, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
16 And from that time forth, half of my servants worked at the task, and the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail; and the leaders stood behind all the house of Judah.
17 Those who built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves so that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand,
18 And every builder had his sword girded by his side, and so worked. And he who sounded the trumpet was at my side.
19 And I said to the nobles and officials and the rest of the people, The work is great and scattered, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.
20 In whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.
21 So we labored at the work while half of them held the spears from dawn until the stars came out.
22 At that time also I said to the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that at night they may be a guard to us and a laborer during the day.
23 So none of us—I, my kinsmen, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me—took off our clothes; each kept his weapon [in his hand for days].
Nehemia 4
BasisBijbel
De tegenwerking van Sanballat
4 Maar toen Sanballat hoorde dat we de muur aan het herbouwen waren, werd hij woedend. Daarom begon hij de Judeeërs belachelijk te maken. 2 Hij zei tegen de bestuurders en de legeraanvoerders van Samaria: "Waar beginnen die arme Judeeërs aan? Denken ze nu echt dat ze dat allemaal zelf kunnen herstellen? Denken ze God met offers te kunnen omkopen? Zouden ze nu echt denken dat ze het ooit af zullen krijgen? Ze denken zeker dat ze die geblakerde puinhopen tot leven kunnen wekken!" 3 De Ammoniet Tobia stond naast hem en zei: "Zelfs als het hun lukt om de muur op te bouwen, stort hij al weer in als er maar een vos tegenaan springt!"
4 – Hoor toch God, hoe we uitgelachen worden! Straf hen daarvoor! Zorg dat zij zelf gevangen meegenomen worden naar een ander land! 5 Heer, vergeef hun niet wat ze ons aandoen. Want door de mensen te beledigen die de muur herbouwen, beledigen ze U!
6 Maar wij bouwden verder aan de muur, totdat de hele muur tot op halve hoogte hersteld was. Want de mensen werkten hard door, omdat ze er zin in hadden. 7 Het werk schoot goed op. De gaten in de muur waren bijna allemaal weer dicht. Toen Sanballat, Tobia, de Arabieren, de Ammonieten en de mensen uit Asdod dat hoorden, werden ze woedend. 8 Ze smeedden een samenzwering tegen ons. Ze waren van plan ons aan te vallen en paniek te zaaien in Jeruzalem. 9 Maar we baden tot onze God. En omdat we wisten wat ze van plan waren, zetten we dag en nacht wachtposten neer. 10 De mensen begonnen te klagen en zeiden: "De mannen die de stenen aandragen, beginnen moe te worden. Er ligt veel te veel in puin. Het lukt ons nooit om de hele muur te herbouwen."
11 Onze vijanden hadden gedacht dat we niets van hun plannen zouden weten. Ze hadden ons plotseling willen overvallen. Ze dachten ons te kunnen doden, zodat het werk zou stoppen. 12 Maar we werden wel tien keer door Judeeërs uit de omgeving gewaarschuwd. Ze zeiden ons dat we van alle kanten aangevallen zouden worden. 13 Daarom verzamelde ik de mensen op de plaatsen waar de muur het laagst was. Ook zette ik mannen neer op de hoger gelegen plaatsen. Ik stelde hen per familie op, gewapend met zwaarden, speren en bogen. 14 Ik zei tegen de belangrijke mensen van de stad, de leiders en de andere mensen: "Wees niet bang. Bedenk hoe machtig onze Heer is. Strijd voor je volksgenoten, je zonen en dochters, je vrouwen en je huizen!" 15 Onze vijanden merkten dat wij van hun plannen wisten. God had voorkomen dat zij ons onverwachts konden aanvallen. Daardoor konden we allemaal weer teruggaan naar ons werk aan de muur.
16 Sinds die dag werkte maar de helft van mijn mensen. De andere helft droeg speren, schilden, bogen en pantsers. De bestuurders stonden allemaal aan onze kant. 17 De mannen die de stenen aandroegen, deden dat met één hand. In de andere hand hielden ze een speer. 18 De mannen die aan het bouwen waren, droegen allemaal een zwaard op de heup. De hoornblazer stond naast mij. 19 Ik zei tegen iedereen: "We werken over een groot gebied. En we staan allemaal ver uit elkaar langs de muur verspreid. 20 Als er gevaar is, laat ik op de ramshoorn blazen. Als jullie dat horen, moeten jullie allemaal naar de plaats komen waar geblazen wordt. Onze God zal voor ons strijden!"
21 Zo werkten we van de vroege ochtend tot de late avond. Daarbij had de helft van ons speren bij zich. 22 Ook gaf ik in die tijd aan het volk het bevel: "Iedereen moet met zijn mensen binnen de muren van Jeruzalem overnachten. Dan kunnen we 's nachts met elkaar de wacht houden en overdag werken." 23 Ik kwam nooit uit de kleren. Mijn broers, mijn knechten en de mannen die de wacht hielden ook niet. Allemaal hadden we een wapen en water bij ons.
Nehemiah 4
King James Version
4 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 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:
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.
19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.
21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.
22 Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day.
23 So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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