17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.(A) Come, let us rebuild the wall(B) of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.(C) 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me(D) and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

19 But when Sanballat(E) the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem(F) the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.(G) “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,(H) but as for you, you have no share(I) in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

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17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned.(A) Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall,(B) so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me,(C) and what the king had said to me.

They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened[a] to do this good work.

19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official,(D) and Geshem the Arab(E) heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:18 Lit they put their hands