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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Nehemiah 4:10

Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Thompson Chain Reference - Co-Operation;   Discouragement;   Discouragement-Encouragement;   Helps-Hindrances;   Hindrances;   Unity-Strife;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Samaria, Modern;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samaritans;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sanballat;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nehemiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jerusalem;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Decay;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
In Judah, it was said:
Hebrew Names Version
Yehudah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
King James Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
English Standard Version
In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall."
New Century Version
The people of Judah said, "The workers are getting tired. There is so much trash we cannot rebuild the wall."
New English Translation
Then those in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers has failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall."
Amplified Bible
Then [the leaders of] Judah said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, And there is much rubble; We ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall."
New American Standard Bible
And so in Judah it was said: "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubble; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall."
World English Bible
Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iudah said, The strength of the bearers is weakened, and there is much earth, so that we are not able to build the wall.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then Judah said,"The strength of the burden bearers is failing,Yet there is much rubbish;And we ourselves are unableTo rebuild the wall."
Berean Standard Bible
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."
Contemporary English Version
Meanwhile, the people of Judah were singing a sorrowful song: "So much rubble for us to haul! Worn out and weary, will we ever finish this wall?"
Complete Jewish Bible
From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah,
Darby Translation
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens faileth, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build at the wall.
Easy-to-Read Version
And so at that time the people of Judah said, "The workers are becoming tired. There is too much dirt and trash in the way. We cannot continue to build the wall.
George Lamsa Translation
And the Jews said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is diminishing, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Good News Translation
The people of Judah had a song they sang: "We grow weak carrying burdens; There's so much rubble to take away. How can we build the wall today?"
Lexham English Bible
But Judah said, "The strength of the carriers is failing, and there is too much dirt, and we are not able to build at the wall."
Literal Translation
And Judah said, The strength of the burden carriers is weakening, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Iuda saide: The stregth of the bearers is to feble, & there is to moch dust, we are not able to builde on the wall.
American Standard Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Bible in Basic English
And Judah said, The strength of the workmen is giving way, and there is much waste material; it is impossible for us to put up the wall.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iuda sayde: The strength of the bearers is feeble, and there is yet much more morter, and we are not able to buylde on the wall.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
King James Version (1611)
And Iudah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Juda said, The strength of the enemies is broken, yet there is much rubbish, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
English Revised Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Juda seide, The strengthe of the berere is maad feble, and the erthe is ful myche, and we moun not bilde the wal.
Update Bible Version
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and [there is] much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
New Living Translation
Then the people of Judah began to complain, "The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves."
New Life Bible
So in Judah it was said, "Those who carry the loads are becoming weaker, and there is much dust. We are not able to work on the wall."
New Revised Standard
But Judah said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Judah, The strength of the burden-bearer faileth, and, the rubbish, aboundeth, - and, we, are not able to build at the wall;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Juda said: The strength of the bearer of burdens is decayed, and the rubbish is very much, and we shall not be able to build the wall.
Revised Standard Version
But Judah said, "The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is much rubbish; we are not able to work on the wall."
Young's Literal Translation
And Judah saith, `The power of the burden-bearers hath become feeble, and the rubbish [is] abundant, and we are not able to build on the wall.'
THE MESSAGE
But soon word was going around in Judah, The builders are pooped, the rubbish piles up; We're in over our heads, we can't build this wall.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall."

Contextual Overview

7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall." 11 And our adversaries said, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease." 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." 13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." 15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The strength: Numbers 13:31, Numbers 32:9, Psalms 11:1, Psalms 11:2, Haggai 1:2

bearers: 2 Chronicles 2:18, Ezekiel 29:18

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 34:13 - the bearers Nehemiah 4:2 - revive Nehemiah 4:17 - bare burdens Nehemiah 6:9 - For they Psalms 102:14 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Genesis 4:9
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
Genesis 4:10
And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground.
Genesis 9:5
Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man.
Genesis 18:20
And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,
Exodus 3:7
And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
Numbers 35:33
So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.
Joshua 7:19
Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."
2 Kings 9:26
"Surely I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,' says the LORD, "and I will repay you in this plot,' says the LORD. Now therefore, take and throw him on the plot of ground, according to the word of the LORD."
Job 16:18
"O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Judah said,.... Several of the men of Judah:

the strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed; through much labour, in carrying heavy loads of stone and timber to the builders, and yet more through fear of the enemy:

and there is much rubbish; which ought to be removed, but that the labourers were so weak that they could not do it:

so that we are not able to build the wall; to finish it before the enemy comes to attack us.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Nehemiah 4:10. The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed — They worked both day and night, scarcely ever putting off their clothes, except for the purpose of being washed, Nehemiah 4:21; Nehemiah 4:23.

Much rubbish — The ruins they were obliged to clear away, before they could dig the foundation for a new wall: and in this labour they were nearly exhausted; see Nehemiah 5:15.


 
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