Then (A)the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,

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Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 4:4 Or and troubled them as they built

Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its [a]bases; and they offered (A)burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 3:3 foundations

Despite their fear(A) of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices.(B)

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Therefore the princes said to the king, “Please, (A)let this man be put to death, for thus he [a]weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man does not seek the [b]welfare of this people, but their harm.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 38:4 Is discouraging
  2. Jeremiah 38:4 Well-being; lit. peace

Then the officials(A) said to the king, “This man should be put to death.(B) He is discouraging(C) the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.”

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For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”

Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

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They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

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(A)Strengthen the [a]weak hands,
And make firm the [b]feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with (B)vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and (C)save you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 35:3 Lit. sinking
  2. Isaiah 35:3 tottering or stumbling

Strengthen the feeble hands,
    steady the knees(A) that give way;
say(B) to those with fearful hearts,(C)
    “Be strong, do not fear;(D)
your God will come,(E)
    he will come with vengeance;(F)
with divine retribution
    he will come to save(G) you.”

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11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”

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11 Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

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Now it happened, (A)when Sanballat, Tobiah, (B)the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the [a]gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them (C)conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 4:7 Lit. breaks

But when Sanballat, Tobiah,(A) the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together(B) to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.

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