Nehemiah 4:15-23
New English Translation
15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware of these matters,[a] God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us returned to the wall, each to his own work. 16 From that day forward, half my men were doing the work and half were taking up spears,[b] shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people[c] of Judah 17 who were rebuilding the wall.[d] Those who were carrying loads did so[e] by keeping one hand on the work and the other on their weapon. 18 The builders, to a man, had their swords strapped to their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter[f] remained with me.
19 I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “The work is demanding[g] and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, far removed from one another. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!”
21 So we worked on,[h] with half[i] holding spears, from dawn till dusk.[j] 22 At that time I instructed[k] the people, “Let every man and his coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by night and workers by day.” 23 We did not change clothes[l]—not I, nor my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water.[m]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 4:15 tn Heb “it was known to us.”
- Nehemiah 4:16 tc The MT reads “and spears.” The conjunction should be deleted.
- Nehemiah 4:16 tn Heb “all the house.”
- Nehemiah 4:17 tn The first words of v. 17, “who were rebuilding the wall,” should be taken with the latter part of v. 16.
- Nehemiah 4:17 tn Heb “were carrying loads.” The LXX reads ἐν ὅπλοις (en hoplois, “with weapons”).
- Nehemiah 4:18 tn Heb “the one blowing the shofar.”
- Nehemiah 4:19 tn Heb “much.”
- Nehemiah 4:21 tn Heb “and we were doing the work.”
- Nehemiah 4:21 tn Heb “half of them.”
- Nehemiah 4:21 tn Heb “from the coming up of the dawn till the coming forth of the stars.”
- Nehemiah 4:22 tn Heb “said [to].”
- Nehemiah 4:23 tn Heb “strip off our garments.”
- Nehemiah 4:23 tc Heb “a man, his weapon, the waters.” The MT, if in fact it is correct, is elliptical and difficult. Some scholars emend the MT reading הַמָּיִם (hammayim, “the waters”) to בִּמִנוֹ (bimino, “in his right hand”; cf. NAB, NRSV) or מִינוּ(י)הֵ (heminu, “they held on the right side”).
Nehemiah 4:15-23
Legacy Standard Bible
Doing the Work and Holding a Weapon
15 Now it happened that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that (A)God had thwarted their counsel, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16 And it happened that from that day on, half of my young men carried on the work while half of them took hold of the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates; and the commanders were behind the whole house of Judah. 17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while [a]the trumpeter stood near me. 19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20 At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, there gather together to us. (B)Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we kept doing the work with half of them holding spears from [b]dawn until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his young man spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a worker by day.” 23 So neither I, my brothers, my young men, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 4:18 Lit he who sounded the trumpet
- Nehemiah 4:21 Lit rising of the dawn
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