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Read the Bible

Geneva Bible

Nehemiah 6:9

For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore incourage thou me.

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.
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 Living Translation
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.
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 And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, & that there were no mo breaches therein, (though at that time I had not set vp the doores vpon the gates) 2 Then sent Sanballat and Geshem vnto me, saying, Come thou that we may meete together in the villages in the plaine of Ono: and they thought to doe me euill. 3 Therefore I sent messengers vnto them, saying, I haue a great worke to doe, and I can not come downe: why should the worke cease, whiles I leaue it, and come downe to you? 4 Yet they sent vnto me foure times after this sort. And I answered them after the same maner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his seruant after this sorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand, 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu hath sayd it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebel, for the which cause thou buildest the wall and thou wilt bee their King according to these wordes. 7 Thou hast also ordeyned the Prophets to preach of thee at Ierusalem, saying, There is a King in Iudah: and nowe according to these wordes it shall come to the Kings eares: come now therefore, and let vs take counsell together. 8 Then I sent vnto him, saying, It is not done according to these wordes that thou sayest: for thou feynest them of thine owne heart. 9 For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore incourage thou me.

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
These are the generations of the heauens and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lorde God made the earth and the heauens,
Genesis 5:1
This is the booke of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created Adam, in the likenes of God made he him,
Genesis 5:22
And Henoch walked with God, after he begate Methushelah, three hundreth yeeres, and begate sonnes and daughters.
Genesis 5:24
And Henoch walked with God, and he was no more seene: for God tooke him away.
Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a iust and vpright man in his time: and Noah walked with God.
Genesis 6:15
And thus shalt thou make it: The length of the Arke shalbe three hundreth cubites, the breadth of it fiftie cubites, and the height of it thirtie cubites.
Genesis 7:1
And the Lord said vnto Noah, Enter thou and all thine house into the Arke: for thee haue I seene righteous before me in this age.
Genesis 10:1
Now these are the generations of the sonnes of Noah, Shem, Ham and Iapheth: vnto whom sonnes were borne after the flood.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninetie yeere olde and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said vnto him, I am God all sufficient. walke before me, and be thou vpright,
Genesis 48:15
Also he blessed Ioseph and sayde, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Izhak did walke, the God, which hath fed me al my life long vnto this day, blesse thee.

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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