⁹ 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.”

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you^(A) to his eternal glory^(B) in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,^(C) will himself restore you and make you strong,^(D) firm and steadfast.

¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.^(A)

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.^(A)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace^(A) is sufficient for you, for my power^(B) is made perfect in weakness.^(C)”^(D) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers^(A) is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

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.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid^(B) of them. Remember^(C) the Lord, who is great and awesome,^(D) and fight^(E) for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning^(A) him; each one was bitter^(B) in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength^(C) in the Lord his God.