Nehemiah 4:15
13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- 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.
- KJV
- And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
- WEB
- When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and God had brought their counsel to nothing, all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.
- ASV
- And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
- DARBY
- And it came to pass that when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had defeated their counsel, we returned all of us to the wall, every one to his work.
- BLB
- And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known to us and [that] God had frustrated their plot, that all of us returned to the wall, each man to his work.
- ÅB
- Da våre fiender hørte at vi hadde fått vite det, og at Gud hadde gjort deres råd til intet, vendte vi alle sammen tilbake til muren, hver til sitt arbeid.
- OTB
- Da våre fiender hørte at vi var klar over deres plan og at Gud hadde forpurret den, vendte vi alle tilbake til muren, hver til sitt eget arbeid.
- B1930
- Da våre fiender hørte at vi hadde fått vite det, og at Gud hadde gjort deres råd til intet, vendte vi alle sammen tilbake til muren, hver til sitt arbeid.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Samuel 17:14
And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.
Read in contextRomans 12:11
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Read in contextPsalms 33:10–11
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
Read in contextIsaiah 44:25
That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
Read in contextJob 5:12–13
He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.
Read in contextProverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.
Read in context2 Samuel 15:31
And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
Read in contextIsaiah 8:10
Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
Read in context