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parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
Neh Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
Neh 2 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V18 V19 V20
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) So now I told them, “You call all see the desparate situation that we’re in: Yerushalem is in ruins and its gates have been burned out. So now, let’s rebuild the city wall and then we’ll no longer be mocked by others.”
OET-LV And_said to_them you_all [are]_seeing the_trouble which we in/on/at/with_her (cmp) Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) [is]_desolate and_gates_its they_have_been_burned in/on/at/with_fire come and_rebuild DOM the_wall of_Yərūshālayim and_not we_will_be again a_reproach.
UHB וָאוֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חוֹמַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד חֶרְפָּֽה׃ ‡
(vāʼōmar ʼₐlēhem ʼattem roʼīm hārāˊāh ʼₐsher ʼₐnaḩnū ⱱāh ʼₐsher yərūshālaim ḩₐrēⱱāh ūshəˊāreyhā niʦʦətū ⱱāʼēsh ləkū vəniⱱneh ʼet-ḩōmat yərūshālaim vəloʼ-nihyeh ˊōd ḩerpāh.)
Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
BrLXX No BrLXX NEH book available
BrTr Then I said to them, Ye see this evil, in which we are, how Jerusalem is desolate, and her gates have been set on fire: come, and let us build throughout the wall of Jerusalem, and we shall be no longer a reproach.
ULT And I said to them, “You see the evil that we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates have been burned by fire. Come, and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be a reproach.”
UST But now I said to them, “You see what a desperate situation we are in. You see that Jerusalem lies in ruins, and our enemies have burned down its gates. We need to do something about this! I challenge all of you to join me in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Then we will not have to feel ashamed any more.”
BSB Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned down. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
OEB Then I said to them, ’You see the bad condition in which we are, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates are destroyed by fire. Come and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more an object of reproach.’
WEBBE Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burnt with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”
WMBB (Same as above)
MSG (17-18)Then I gave them my report: “Face it: we’re in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let’s build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer.” I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up.
They said, “We’re with you. Let’s get started.” They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.
NET Then I said to them, “You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue.”
LSV and I say to them, “You are seeing the evil that we are in, in that Jerusalem [is] desolate, and its gates have been burned with fire; come and we build the wall of Jerusalem, and we are not a reproach anymore.”
FBV Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
T4T But now I said to them, “You all know very well the terrible things that have happened to our city. The city is ruined; even the gates are burned down. So we should rebuild the city wall. If we do that, we will no longer feel humiliated/disgraced.”
LEB Then I said to them, “You see the misery that we are in, that Jerusalem is ruined and its gates burned by the fire. Come, build the walls of Jerusalem and we shall no longer be a disgrace.”
BBE Then I said to them, You see what a bad condition we are in; how Jerusalem is a waste, and its doorways burned with fire: come, let us get to work, building up the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer be put to shame.
Moff No Moff NEH book available
JPS Then said I unto them: 'Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire; come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.'
ASV Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
DRA Then I said to them: You know the affliction wherein we are, because Jerusalem is desolate, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire: come, and let us build up the walls of Jerusalem, and let us be no longer a reproach.
YLT and I say unto them, 'Ye are seeing the evil that we are in, in that Jerusalem [is] waste, and its gates have been burnt with fire; come and we build the wall of Jerusalem, and we are not any more a reproach.'
Drby And I said to them, Ye see the distress that we are in, that Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
RV Then said I unto them, Ye see the evil case that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Wbstr Then said I to them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and its gates are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may be no more a reproach.
KJB-1769 ¶ Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
(¶ Then said I unto them, Ye/You_all see the distress that we are in, how Yerusalem lieth/lies waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Yerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. )
KJB-1611 ¶ Then said I vnto them, Yee see the distresse that we are in, how Ierusalem lieth waste, and the gates therof are burnt with fire: come, and let vs builde vp the wall of Ierusalem, that we be no more a reproch.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)
Bshps Afterwarde sayde I vnto them: Ye see the miserie that we are in, howe Hierusalem lyeth waste, and howe the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come therefore, and let vs buylde vp the wall of Hierusalem, and that we be no more a rebuke.
(Afterwarde said I unto them: Ye/You_all see the miserie that we are in, how Yerusalem lieth/lies waste, and how the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come therefore, and let us build up the wall of Yerusalem, and that we be no more a rebuke.)
Gnva Afterward I said vnto them, Ye see the miserie that we are in, how Ierusalem lyeth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come and let vs buylde the wall of Ierusalem, that we be no more a reproche.
(Afterward I said unto them, Ye/You_all see the miserie that we are in, how Yerusalem lieth/lies waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come and let us build the wall of Yerusalem, that we be no more a reproache. )
Cvdl & I saide vnto the: Ye se the myserye yt we are in, how Ierusale lyeth wayst, & how ye gates therof are brent wt fyre, come, let vs buylde vp ye walles of Ierusale, yt we be nomore a rebuke.
(& I said unto them: Ye/You_all see the myserye it we are in, how Yerusalem lieth/lies wayst, and how ye/you_all gates thereof are burnt with fire, come, let us build up ye/you_all walls of Yerusalem, it we be no more a rebuke.)
Wycl And Y seide to hem, Ye knowen the turment, in which we ben, for Jerusalem is deseert, and the yatis therof ben wastid with fier; come ye, bilde we the wallis of Jerusalem, and be we no more schenship.
(And I said to them, Ye/You_all known the turment, in which we ben, for Yerusalem is deseert, and the yatis thereof been wastid with fire; come ye/you_all, build we the walls of Yerusalem, and be we no more schenship.)
Luth Und sprach zu ihnen: Ihr sehet das Unglück, darinnen wir sind, daß Jerusalem wüste liegt, und ihre Tore sind mit Feuer verbrannt; kommt, laßt uns die Mauern Jerusalems bauen, daß wir nicht mehr eine Schmach seien!
(And spoke to to_them: You sehet the Unglück, darinnen we/us are, that Yerusalem wüste liegt, and their/her Tore are with fire burnt; kommt, laßt us/to_us/ourselves the walls Yerusalems bauen, that we/us not more one Schmach seien!)
ClVg Et dixi eis: Vos nostis afflictionem in qua sumus: quia Jerusalem deserta est, et portæ ejus consumptæ sunt igni: venite, et ædificemus muros Jerusalem, et non simus ultra opprobrium.[fn]
(And dixi eis: Vos nostis afflictionem in which sumus: because Yerusalem deserta it_is, and portæ his consumptæ are igni: venite, and ædificemus the_walls Yerusalem, and not/no simus ultra opprobrium. )
2.17 Quia Jerusalem deserta est. BED., ibid. Plana sunt hæc et spirituali sensu congrua: quia doctores, imo omnes qui zelo Dei fervent, in afflictione maxima sunt, quandiu Jerusalem, id est visionem pacis, quam nobis Deus reliquit et commendavit, bellis dissensionum cernunt esse desertam: et portas virtutum, quas juxta Isaiam laudatio occupare debuerat, prævalentibus inferorum portis dejectas, et opprobrio habitas.
2.17 Because Yerusalem deserta it_is. BED., ibid. Plana are these_things and spirituali sensu congrua: because doctores, imo everyone who zelo of_God fervent, in afflictione maxima are, quandiu Yerusalem, id it_is vision pacis, how us God reliquit and commendavit, bellis dissensionum cernunt esse desertam: and portas virtutum, which next_to Isaiam laudatio occupare debuerat, prævalentibus inferorum portis deyectas, and opprobrio habitas.
2:16-17 Nehemiah kept his inspection and rebuilding plans secret from both the Persian and Jewish leaders to prevent opposition from being organized. But now Nehemiah was effectively positioned to lead the rebuilding effort.
• what trouble we are in: The broken walls brought disgrace on the city and reflected negatively on God; Jerusalem certainly did not look like the “city of the great King” (Ps 48:2).
Dealing with Conflict
God’s people often have to deal with conflict, either from those outside the community who are opposed to God and his purposes or from those inside the community who cause strife and division. Dealing with conflict requires a great deal of wisdom and tact, as even the smallest conflicts can turn disastrous. Paul faced opposition from government (Acts 16:22-24) and community leaders (Acts 19:23-34). Moses dealt with the grumbling and dissatisfied people of Israel (e.g., Exod 17:1-4). The book of Nehemiah provides perhaps the most comprehensive example of how a godly person can respond to conflict.
Nehemiah faced both external and internal opposition to all that God was directing him to do. External opposition came from foreigners such as Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah. They fiercely opposed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and mocked Nehemiah’s leadership (Neh 2:10, 2:19; 4:1-3). The opposition gradually grew to include other Arabs, Ammonites, and people from Ashdod, who plotted to attack the builders (4:7-9, 11). To meet this opposition, Nehemiah posted guards, prayed for God’s help, developed an emergency warning system, and kept working (4:6-23). Israel’s frustrated enemies made several attempts to disgrace or kill Nehemiah (6:1-14). However, Nehemiah had the wisdom to avoid or frustrate their plots while focusing on the task God had given him.
Nehemiah also faced internal problems. Wealthy Jews were mistreating the poor by charging high interest (5:1-13). Jews had married foreigners who worshiped other gods (13:23-30). Many were not tithing or keeping the Sabbath holy (10:31-39; 13:10-22). Finally, he had to oppose the priest Eliashib, who had allowed Tobiah to use one of the Temple storerooms (13:4-9). Confronting these problems required a firm commitment to the principles explained in Scripture, boldness in insisting that people follow these divine instructions, and compassion in restoring people to fellowship after the confrontation.
In each of these cases, Nehemiah courageously followed the example of earlier leaders such as Moses, who opposed the worship of the gold calf (Exod 32); Samuel, who opposed those involved with Baal worship (1 Sam 7:3-8); Nathan, who opposed David’s sins (2 Sam 12:1-14); and Jehoshaphat, who trusted in God to defeat a much stronger enemy (2 Chr 20:1-37). Like these earlier men of God, Nehemiah took a stand for what was right instead of letting those for whom he was responsible go their own ways. He refused to be discouraged or intimidated by internal difficulties or external threats against him. He consistently depended on God for wisdom and for blessing on his work.
Jesus and Paul both outlined some strategies for dealing with internal conflict (Matt 5:23-26; 18:15-17; 1 Cor 6:1-8; 10:23-33) and external conflict (Matt 5:43-47; Rom 12:14-21). Unfortunately, the actions of believers, no matter how upstanding, will sometimes be met with continued—or even increased—opposition. Nonetheless, we are called to handle opposition in a way similar to Nehemiah—with wisdom, patience, prayer, and resolve.
Passages for Further Study
Gen 13:5-13; 26:12-35; Exod 32:1-35; 1 Sam 7:3-8; 2 Sam 12:1-31; 19:41-43; 2 Chr 20:1-37; 34:3-7; Neh 2:19-20; 4:1-23; 5:1-13; 6:1-14; 13:4-28; Ps 140:1-2; Prov 13:10; 17:14, 19; 25:8; 26:17, 21; 29:22; Hab 1:3; Acts 23:6-11; 2 Cor 7:5-6; Eph 6:10-18; Phil 2:3; 1 Tim 6:4; 2 Tim 2:14, 23-26; Titus 2:15; Jas 3:13-18
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
וָאוֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם
and,said to,them
This might imply a contrast between what Nehemiah did previously (kept quiet) and what he did now (told everyone). You could use a word like “but” to indicate this. Alternate translation: “But now I said to them”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲנַ֣חְנוּ בָ֔הּ
you_all see the,trouble which/who we in/on/at/with,her
As in 1:3, here the abstract noun evil does not refer to something morally bad, but to a difficult situation. You can translate this idea with an adjective such as “desperate.” Alternate translation: “You see what a desperate situation we are in”
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / you
אַתֶּ֤ם רֹאִים֙ הָרָעָה֙
you_all see the,trouble
Here you is plural, referring to all the people mentioned in 2:16.
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ
Yerushalayim lies_in_ruins and,gates,its burned in/on/at/with,fire
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning here using active forms. Alternate translation: “Jerusalem lies in ruins, and our enemies have burned down its gates”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ חֲרֵבָ֔ה וּשְׁעָרֶ֖יהָ נִצְּת֣וּ בָאֵ֑שׁ
Yerushalayim lies_in_ruins and,gates,its burned in/on/at/with,fire
The implication is, “We need to do something about this!” If it would be helpful in your language, you could add something like that explicitly.
לְכ֗וּ וְנִבְנֶה֙ אֶת־חוֹמַ֣ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם
come and,rebuild DOM wall Yerushalayim
Come does not mean “come over to this place” but “come on, let’s do this!” Nehemiah is issuing both an invitation and a public challenge to everyone who is listening. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could translate his words in a way that reflects this. Alternate translation: “I challenge all of you to join me in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.”
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
וְלֹא־נִהְיֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד חֶרְפָּֽה
and=not be again/more disgrace
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea behind the word reproach, you can express the same idea with an adjective such as “ashamed.” Alternate translation: “so we will no longer be ashamed”