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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Nehemiah 4:6

The people worked hard, and we built the walls of Jerusalem halfway up again.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Diligence;   Liberality;   Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Diligence;   Samaria, Modern;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Sanaballat;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mind/reason;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sanballat;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   Sanballat;   Tekoa;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Mind;   Nehemiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Sanballat;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Samaritans;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Sanballat;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.
Hebrew Names Version
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the people had a mind to work.
King James Version
So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
English Standard Version
So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
New Century Version
So we rebuilt the wall to half its height, because the people were willing to work.
New English Translation
So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height. The people were enthusiastic in their work.
Amplified Bible
So we built the wall and the entire wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a heart to work.
New American Standard Bible
So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
World English Bible
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the people had a mind to work.
Geneva Bible (1587)
So we built the wall, and all the wall was ioyned vnto the halfe thereof, and the heart of the people was to worke.
Legacy Standard Bible
So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, and the people had a heart to work.
Berean Standard Bible
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.
Complete Jewish Bible
And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, "From every place you must come back to us."
Darby Translation
But we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half thereof; for the people had a mind to work.
Easy-to-Read Version
We built the wall of Jerusalem all the way around the city. But it was only half as tall as it should be. We did this much because the people worked with all their heart.
George Lamsa Translation
But as for us, we shall continue to build the wall; and the people are building it, and all the wall is completed to the half thereof; for the people have a mind to work.
Good News Translation
So we went on rebuilding the wall, and soon it was half its full height, because the people were eager to work.
Lexham English Bible
So we rebuilt the wall, and all of the wall was joined up to half its height. For the people had a heart to do it.
Literal Translation
So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to the half of it. For the people had a heart to work.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yet buylded we the wall, & ioyned it whole together, vnto ye halfe heigth. And the people were well mynded to labor.
American Standard Version
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Bible in Basic English
So we went on building the wall; and all the wall was joined together half-way up: for the people were working hard.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so buylded we the wall, and it was ioyned whole together vnto the halfe heyght thereof: And the people were minded to labour.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times: 'Ye must return unto us from all places.'
King James Version (1611)
So built we the wall, and all the wall was ioyned together vnto the halfe therof: for the people had a minde to worke.
English Revised Version
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half the height thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor we bildiden the wal, and ioyneden togidere al `til to the half part, and the herte of the puple was exitid to worche.
Update Bible Version
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Webster's Bible Translation
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to the half of it, for the people had a mind to work.
New King James Version
So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
New Living Translation
At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.
New Life Bible
But we built the wall, and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
New Revised Standard
So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So we built the wall, and all the wall was finished unto the half thereof, - -and the people had a mind to work.
Douay-Rheims Bible
So we built the wall, and joined it all together unto the half thereof: and the heart of the people was excited to work.
Revised Standard Version
So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work.
Young's Literal Translation
And we build the wall, and all the wall is joined -- unto its half, and the people have a heart to work.
THE MESSAGE
We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Contextual Overview

1 When Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, heard that we were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he became angry and started insulting our people. 2 In front of his friends and the Samaritan army he said, "What is this feeble bunch of Jews trying to do? Are they going to rebuild the wall and offer sacrifices all in one day? Do they think they can make something out of this pile of scorched stones?" 3 Tobiah from Ammon was standing beside Sanballat and said, "Look at the wall they are building! Why, even a fox could knock over this pile of stones." 4 But I prayed, "Our God, these people hate us and have wished horrible things for us. Please answer our prayers and make their insults fall on them! Let them be the ones to be dragged away as prisoners of war. 5 Don't forgive the mean and evil way they have insulted the builders." 6 The people worked hard, and we built the walls of Jerusalem halfway up again.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and all the wall: That is, the whole circuit of the wall was completed unto half the intended height.

for the people: The original is very emphatic, wyhee laiv leam laasoth, "for the people had a heart to work." Their heart was engaged in it, and they went about it cheerfully and vigorously.

had a mind: Nehemiah 6:15, 1 Chronicles 29:3, 1 Chronicles 29:14, 1 Chronicles 29:17, 1 Chronicles 29:18, 2 Chronicles 29:36, Psalms 110:3, 2 Corinthians 8:16, 2 Corinthians 8:17, Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:21

Reciprocal: Psalms 102:14 - General Ecclesiastes 9:10 - thy hand Micah 7:11 - the day Haggai 1:14 - and they

Cross-References

Genesis 4:1
Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, "I'll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord ."
Genesis 4:3
One day, Cain gave part of his harvest to the Lord ,
Genesis 4:4
and Abel also gave an offering to the Lord . He killed the first-born lamb from one of his sheep and gave the Lord the best parts of it. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,
Genesis 4:5
but not with Cain and his offering. This made Cain so angry that he could not hide his feelings.
Genesis 4:8
Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go for a walk." And when they were out in a field, Cain killed him.
Genesis 4:11
And so, I'll put you under a curse. Because you killed Abel and made his blood run out on the ground, you will never be able to farm the land again.
Genesis 4:13
"This punishment is too hard!" Cain said.
Job 5:2
Envy and jealousy will kill a stupid fool.
Isaiah 1:18
I, the Lord , invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.
Jeremiah 2:5
and I, the Lord , will speak. I was never unfair to your ancestors, but they left me and became worthless by following worthless idols.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So built we the wall,.... Went on in building it, notwithstanding their scoffs and threats:

and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof; it was carried all round the city to half the height of it:

for the people had a mind to work; their heart was in it, they had a good will to it, and they made haste to finish it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Unto the half thereof - i. e. to half the intended height.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 4:6. For the people had a mind to work. — The original is very emphatic: ויהי לב לעם לעשות vayehi leb leam laasoth, "For the people had a heart to work." Their hearts were engaged in it; and where the heart is engaged, the work of God goes on well. The whole of this 6th verse is omitted by the Septuagint.


 
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