Nehemiah 2:17-20
New American Standard Bible
17 Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that (A)Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burned by fire. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let’s arise and build.” (B)So they put their hands to the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite [a]official, and (C)Geshem the Arab heard about it, (D)they mocked us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? (E)Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 So I answered them and said to them, “(F)The God of heaven will make us successful; therefore we His servants will arise and build, (G)but you have no part, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.”
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- Nehemiah 2:19 Lit servant
Nehemiah 2:17-20
International Standard Version
17 Later I told them, “You all are watching the predicament we’re in, how Jerusalem lies desolate, with its gates burned by fire. Let’s rebuild the Jerusalem wall so we’re no longer a disgrace.” 18 Then I told them how good my God had been to[a] me, and about what the king had told me.
They replied, “Let’s get out there and build!” So they encouraged themselves to do good.
Nehemiah Replies to Sanballat
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, his servant Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arab heard about it,[b] they jeered at us and despised us when they said, “What is this thing that you’re doing? You’re rebelling against the king, aren’t you?”
20 In reply to them, I said, “The God of Heaven will prosper us. That’s why we’re preparing to build. But as far as you’re concerned, there exists no ancestral heritage, no legal right, nor any historic claim in Jerusalem.
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- Nehemiah 2:18 Lit. them the good hand of my God upon
- Nehemiah 2:19 The Heb. lacks about it
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