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New Living Translation

Nehemiah 6:9

They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Blessing;   Tobiah;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Geshem or Gashmu;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Geshem;   Nehemiah;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sanballat ;   Tobiah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Sanballat;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jerusalem;   Sanballat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Prophecy;   Zechariah, Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, “They will drop their hands from the work, and it will never be finished.”
Hebrew Names Version
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done. But now, [God], strengthen you my hands.
King James Version
For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
English Standard Version
For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
New Century Version
Our enemies were trying to scare us, thinking, "They will get too weak to work. Then the wall will not be finished." But I prayed, "God, make me strong."
New English Translation
All of them were wanting to scare us, supposing, "Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won't get done." So now, strengthen my hands!
Amplified Bible
For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, [O God,] strengthen my hands.
New American Standard Bible
For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, God, strengthen my hands.
World English Bible
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done. But now, [God], strengthen you my hands.
Geneva Bible (1587)
For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore incourage thou me.
Legacy Standard Bible
For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will become limp in doing the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
Berean Standard Bible
For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished." But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
Contemporary English Version
Our enemies were trying to frighten us and to keep us from our work. But I asked God to give me strength.
Complete Jewish Bible
They were all just trying to scare us, thinking, "This will sap their strength and keep them from working." But now, [God,] increase my strength!
Darby Translation
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out.—Now therefore strengthen my hands!
Easy-to-Read Version
Our enemies were only trying to make us afraid. They are thinking to themselves, "The Jews will be afraid and too weak to keep on working. Then the wall will not be finished." But I prayed, "God, make me strong."
George Lamsa Translation
For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work; and they say to us, Do not do the work. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
Good News Translation
They were trying to frighten us into stopping work. I prayed, "But now, God, make me strong!"
Lexham English Bible
for all of them sought to frighten us, saying, "their hands will not do the work." And now, God, strengthen my hands.
Literal Translation
For they all made us fear, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, and it will not be done. And now, make my hands strong.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For they were all mynded to make us afrayed, and thoughte: They shal withdrawe their handes from the worke, yt they shal not laboure. Howbeit I stregthed my hande the more.
American Standard Version
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
Bible in Basic English
For they were hoping to put fear in us, saying, Their hands will become feeble and give up the work so that it may not get done. But now, O God, make my hands strong.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For they were all minded to make vs afrayde, saying, They shall withdrawe their handes from their worke, that it shall not be finished: Nowe therefore strengthen thou my hande.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For they all would have us afraid, saying: 'Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.' But now, strengthen Thou my hands.
King James Version (1611)
For they all made vs afraid, saying, Their handes shall be weakened from the worke that it bee not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For all were trying to alarm us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from this work, and it shall not be done. Now therefore I have strengthened my hands.
English Revised Version
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Alle these men maden vs aferd, and thouyten that oure hondis schulden ceesse fro werkis, that we schulden reste; for which cause Y coumfortide more myn hond.
Update Bible Version
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it will not be done. So now, strengthen my hands.
Webster's Bible Translation
For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it may not be done. Now therefore, [O God], strengthen my hands.
New King James Version
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.
New Life Bible
For they all wanted to make us afraid, thinking, "Their hands will become weak and the work will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
New Revised Standard
—for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, they all, were seeking to put us in fear, saying, Their hands will slacken from the work, and it will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, strengthen thou my hands!
Douay-Rheims Bible
For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off. Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:
Revised Standard Version
For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
Young's Literal Translation
for all of them are making us afraid, saying, `Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;' and now, strengthen Thou my hands.
THE MESSAGE
They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, "They'll give up; they'll never finish it." I prayed, "Give me strength."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

Contextual Overview

1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?" 4 Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. 5 The fifth time, Sanballat's servant came with an open letter in his hand, 6 and this is what it said: "There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!' "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me." 8 I replied, "There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing." 9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For they: Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah 4:10-14, 2 Chronicles 32:18

Their hands: 2 Chronicles 15:7, Ezra 4:1-24, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:4, Jeremiah 38:4, Hebrews 12:12

Now therefore: 1 Samuel 30:6, Psalms 56:3, Psalms 71:1, Psalms 68:35, Psalms 138:3, Isaiah 41:10, Zechariah 10:12, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 6:10, Philippians 4:13, 1 Peter 5:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:24 - his bow Judges 7:11 - thine hands 2 Samuel 4:1 - his hands Ezra 4:4 - weakened Ezra 4:24 - So Nehemiah 2:19 - Geshem Nehemiah 6:11 - would go Nehemiah 6:19 - to put Jeremiah 18:19 - hearken Ezekiel 30:24 - I will Luke 13:31 - Get

Cross-References

Genesis 2:4
This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
Genesis 5:1
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself.
Genesis 5:22
After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:24
walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
Genesis 6:15
Make the boat 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
Genesis 7:1
When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.
Genesis 10:1
This is the account of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the three sons of Noah. Many children were born to them after the great flood.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.
Genesis 48:15
Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my grandfather Abraham and my father, Isaac, walked— the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For they all made us afraid,.... Or you all, as Aben Ezra interprets it; or all the Heathen nations, as Jarchi; this was the design of all those scandalous reports, to intimidate them, and with this they pleased themselves, as follows:

their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done; this they hoped would be the effect of those reports sent to them:

now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands; and let them not have what they will, and hope for; according to Aben Ezra, these words are directed to Sanballat, that if he was a friend, as he pretended, that instead of weakening, he would strengthen his hands by a sincere reconciliation; so Vatablus; but they are an address to God, such short ejaculations being usual with Nehemiah.


 
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