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Work Is Ridiculed |
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| Nehemiah 4:1 |
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Now it came about that when Sanballat heard
that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked
the Jews. |
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| Nehemiah 4:2 |
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He spoke in the presence of his brothers and
the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they
going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish
in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?"
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| Nehemiah 4:3 |
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Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he
said, "Even what they are building--if a fox should jump on it, he would break
their stone wall down!" |
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| Nehemiah 4:4 |
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Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return
their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
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| Nehemiah 4:5 |
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Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their
sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders. |
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| Nehemiah 4:6 |
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So we built the wall and the whole wall was
joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. |
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| Nehemiah 4:7 |
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Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites
and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and
that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. |
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| Nehemiah 4:8 |
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All of them conspired together to come and fight
against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. |
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Discouragement Overcome |
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| Nehemiah 4:9 |
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But we prayed to our God, and because of them
we set up a guard against them day and night. |
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| Nehemiah 4:10 |
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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." |
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| Nehemiah 4:11 |
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Our enemies said, "They will not know or see
until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." |
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| Nehemiah 4:12 |
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When the Jews who lived near them came and told
us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,"
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| Nehemiah 4:13 |
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then I stationed men in the lowest parts of
the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families
with their swords, spears and bows. |
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| Nehemiah 4:14 |
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When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke 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, your
daughters, your wives and your houses." |
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| Nehemiah 4:15 |
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When our enemies heard that it was known to
us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall,
each one to his work. |
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| Nehemiah 4:16 |
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From that day on, half of my servants carried
on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the
breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. |
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| Nehemiah 4:17 |
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Those who were rebuilding the wall and those
who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other
holding a weapon. |
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| Nehemiah 4:18 |
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As for the builders, each wore his sword girded
at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. |
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| Nehemiah 4:19 |
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I said to the nobles, the officials and the
rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on
the wall far from one another. |
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| Nehemiah 4:20 |
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"At whatever place you hear the sound of the
trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." |
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| Nehemiah 4:21 |
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So we carried on the work with half of them
holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. |
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| Nehemiah 4:22 |
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At that time I also said to the people, "Let
each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be
a guard for us by night and a laborer by day." |
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| Nehemiah 4:23 |
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So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor
the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took
his weapon even to the water. |
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