Nehemiah · Majority Standard Bible
Nehemiah 4 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious and filled with indignation. He ridiculed the Jews
1 Y FUÉ que como oyó Sanballat que nosotros edificábamos el muro, encolerizóse y enojóse en gran manera, é hizo escarnio de los Judíos.
2 before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
2 Y habló delante de sus hermanos y del ejército de Samaria, y dijo: ¿Qué hacen estos débiles Judíos? ¿hanles de permitir? ¿han de sacrificar? ¿han de acabar en un día? ¿han de resucitar de los montones del polvo las piedras que fueron quemadas?
3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “If even a fox were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their wall of stones!”
3 Y estaba junto á él Tobías Ammonita, el cual dijo: Aun lo que ellos edifican, si subiere una zorra derribará su muro de piedra.
4 Hear us, O God, for we are despised. Turn their scorn back upon their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
4 Oye, oh Dios nuestro, que somos en menosprecio, y vuelve el baldón de ellos sobre su cabeza, y dalos en presa en la tierra de su cautiverio:
5 Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
5 Y no cubras su iniquidad, ni su pecado sea raído delante de tu rostro; porque se airaron contra los que edificaban.
6 So we rebuilt the wall until all of it was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
6 Edificamos pues el muro, y toda la muralla fué junta hasta su mitad: y el pueblo tuvo ánimo para obrar.
7 When Sanballat and Tobiah, together with the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being closed, they were furious,
7 Mas acaeció que oyendo Sanballat y Tobías, y los Arabes, y los Ammonitas, y los de Asdod, que los muros de Jerusalem eran reparados, porque ya los portillos comenzaban á cerrarse, encolerizáronse mucho;
8 and all of them conspired to come and fight against Jerusalem and create a hindrance.
8 Y conspiraron todos á una para venir á combatir á Jerusalem, y á hacerle daño.
9 So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
9 Entonces oramos á nuestro Dios, y por causa de ellos pusimos guarda contra ellos de día y de noche.
10 Meanwhile, the people of Judah said: “The strength of the laborer fails, and there is so much rubble that we will never be able to rebuild the wall.”
10 Y dijo Judá: Las fuerzas de los acarreadores se han enflaquecido, y el escombro es mucho, y no podemos edificar el muro.
11 And our enemies said, “Before they know or see a thing, we will come into their midst, kill them, and put an end to the work.”
11 Y nuestros enemigos dijeron: No sepan, ni vean, hasta que entremos en medio de ellos, y los matemos, y hagamos cesar la obra.
12 At that time the Jews who lived nearby came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
12 Sucedió empero, que como vinieron los Judíos que habitaban entre ellos, nos dieron aviso diez veces de todos los lugares de donde volvían á nosotros.
13 So I stationed men behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.
13 Entonces puse por los bajos del lugar, detrás del muro, en las alturas de los peñascos, puse el pueblo por familias con sus espadas, con sus lanzas, y con sus arcos.
14 After I had made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
14 Después miré, y levantéme, y dije á los principales y á los magistrados, y al resto del pueblo: No temáis delante de ellos: acordaos del Señor grande y terrible, y pelead por vuestros hermanos, por vuestros hijos y por vuestras hijas, por vuestras mujeres y por vuestras casas.
15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their scheme and that God had frustrated it, each of us returned to his own work on the wall.
15 Y sucedió que como oyeron nuestros enemigos que lo habíamos entendido, Dios disipó el consejo de ellos, y volvímonos todos al muro, cada uno á su obra.
16 And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah
16 Mas fué que desde aquel día la mitad de los mancebos trabajaba en la obra, y la otra mitad de ellos tenía lanzas y escudos, y arcos, y corazas; y los príncipes estaban tras toda la casa de Judá.
17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
17 Los que edificaban en el muro, y los que llevaban cargas y los que cargaban, con la una mano trabajaban en la obra, y en la otra tenían la espada.
18 And each of the builders worked with his sword strapped at his side. But the trumpeter stayed beside me.
18 Porque los que edificaban, cada uno tenía su espada ceñida á sus lomos, y así edificaban: y el que tocaba la trompeta estaba junto á mí.
19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “The work is great and extensive, and we are spread out far from one another along the wall.
19 Y dije á los principales, y á los magistrados y al resto del pueblo: La obra es grande y larga, y nosotros estamos apartados en el muro, lejos los unos de los otros:
20 Wherever you hear the sound of the horn, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!”
20 En el lugar donde oyereis la voz de la trompeta, reuníos allí á nosotros: nuestro Dios peleará por nosotros.
21 So we continued the work, while half of the men held spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.
21 Nosotros pues trabajábamos en la obra; y la mitad de ellos tenían lanzas desde la subida del alba hasta salir las estrellas.
22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let every man and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day.”
22 También dije entonces al pueblo: Cada uno con su criado se quede dentro de Jerusalem, y hágannos de noche centinela, y de día á la obra.
23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the guards with me changed out of our clothes; each carried his weapon, even to go for water.
23 Y ni yo, ni mis hermanos, ni mis mozos, ni la gente de guardia que me seguía, desnudamos nuestro vestido: cada uno se desnudaba [solamente] para lavarse.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Sanballat
Sanballat the Horonite, who mocked, plotted against, and tried to lure Nehemiah during the wall building; one of the high priest’s grandsons became his son-in-law.
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 4:1
Tobiah
Ammonite official who jeered at the wall, sent intimidating letters, had ties of marriage and oath among Judah’s nobles, and was given a temple storeroom by Eliashib until…
Cited in the guide: Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah 4:3; Nehemiah 6:17
Cross references (22)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Nehemiah 2:10; Hebrews 11:36; Psalm 35:15–16; Acts 5:17; Nehemiah 2:19
- 2 1 Corinthians 1:27; Ezra 4:9–10; Nehemiah 4:10; Zechariah 12:8; 1 Samuel 17:43–44
- 3 Nehemiah 2:19; Nehemiah 2:10; 1 Kings 20:10; 1 Kings 20:18; 2 Kings 18:23
- 4 Psalm 79:12; Psalm 123:3–4; Proverbs 3:34; Hosea 12:14; 1 Samuel 17:26
- 5 Psalm 109:14; Jeremiah 18:23; Psalm 69:27–28; Isaiah 44:22; 2 Timothy 4:14
- 6 Philippians 2:13; 1 Chronicles 29:3; Hebrews 13:21; Nehemiah 6:15; 1 Chronicles 29:17–18
- 7 Nehemiah 4:1; Nehemiah 2:10; Jeremiah 25:20; Amos 1:13; Revelation 12:17
- 8 Psalm 83:3–11; Jeremiah 20:10; Isaiah 8:9–10; Acts 23:12–13; Psalm 2:1–3
- 9 1 Peter 5:8; Psalm 50:15; Acts 4:24–30; Matthew 26:41; Luke 6:11–12
- 10 Haggai 1:2; Numbers 32:9; 2 Chronicles 2:18; Numbers 13:31; Psalm 11:1–2
- 11 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Psalm 56:6; Judges 20:29–48; Acts 23:21; Acts 23:12
- 12 Numbers 14:22; Genesis 31:41; Genesis 31:7; Job 19:3
- 13 Nehemiah 4:17–18; Ephesians 6:11–20; Genesis 32:13–20; 2 Chronicles 32:2–8; Matthew 10:16
- 14 2 Samuel 10:12; Numbers 14:9; Isaiah 41:10–14; Hebrews 13:6; Psalm 66:3
- 15 2 Samuel 17:14; Romans 12:11; Psalm 33:10–11; Isaiah 44:25; Job 5:12–13
- 16 Nehemiah 4:23; Nehemiah 5:15–16; Psalm 101:6
- 17 2 Timothy 2:3; 2 Timothy 4:7; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 6:11–20; 1 Corinthians 16:9
- 18 Numbers 10:9; 2 Chronicles 13:12–17
- 20 Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 20:4; Deuteronomy 1:30; Joshua 23:10; Deuteronomy 3:22
- 21 Galatians 6:9; Colossians 1:29
- 22 Nehemiah 11:1–2
- 23 Nehemiah 5:16; Nehemiah 7:2; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Judges 5:11; Judges 9:48
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences