All of them were trying to frighten us. They thought,“ Their hands will get too weak to do the work. So it won’t be completed.” But I prayed to God. I said,“ Make my hands stronger.”

他们都要使我们惧怕，意思说，他们的手必软弱，以致工作不能成就。神啊，求你坚固我的手。

他们全都要使我们惧怕，说：“他们的手必软弱，不能工作，以致不能完工。”现在，求你坚固我的手。

他们全都要使我们惧怕，说：“他们的手必软弱，不能工作，以致不能完工。”现在，求你坚固我的手。

因为他们想恐吓我们，以为我们会吓得手发软，无法完成工程。但上帝啊，求你使我的手有力量！

其实他们众人是在恐吓我们，心里说：“他们的手必软弱，不能再作这工程，不会完工了！”现在，坚固我的手。

他們都要使我們懼怕，意思說，他們的手必軟弱，以致工作不能成就。神啊，求你堅固我的手。

他們全都要使我們懼怕，說：「他們的手必軟弱，不能工作，以致不能完工。」現在，求你堅固我的手。

他們全都要使我們懼怕，說：「他們的手必軟弱，不能工作，以致不能完工。」現在，求你堅固我的手。

因為他們想恐嚇我們，以為我們會嚇得手發軟，無法完成工程。但上帝啊，求你使我的手有力量！

其實他們眾人是在恐嚇我們，心裡說：“他們的手必軟弱，不能再作這工程，不會完工了！”現在，堅固我的手。

他們都要使我懼怕，意思是說：『他們的手會從這工作上發軟下來，以致工程作不了。』但現在呢、加強我的手吧。

蓋彼眾欲恐我、意謂我手必弱、以致工作不得成功、然我乃強厥手、○

彼言此、欲以懼我、使我心危、工作廢弛、然我志益銳。

彼眾皆欲使我懼、意謂、我必心灰、止息工作、致不得成、主歟、惟求鼓勵我、鼓勵我原文作堅我手○

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking,“ Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” But I prayed,“ Now strengthen my hands.”

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.

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.

For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying,“ They will drop their hands from the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

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.

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.

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.

For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying,“ They will become discouraged in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen me.

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.

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!

For they all would have made us afraid, saying,“ Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.

When I called out to you, you answered me. You made me strong and brave.

God always gives you all the grace you need. So you will only have to suffer for a little while. Then God himself will build you up again. He will make you strong and steady. And he has chosen you to share in his eternal glory because you belong to Christ.

I pray that he will use his glorious riches to make you strong. May his Holy Spirit give you his power deep down inside you.

The people who had returned from Babylon were building a temple to honor the Lord. He is the God of Israel. The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard about it.Then those enemies came to Zerubbabel. The family leaders of Israel were with him. The enemies said,“ We want to help you build. We’re just like you. We worship your God. We offer sacrifices to him. We’ve been doing that ever since the time of Esarhaddon. He was king of Assyria. He brought our people here.”Zerubbabel and Joshua answered them. So did the rest of the family leaders of Israel. They said,“ You can’t help us build a temple to honor our God. You aren’t part of us. We’ll build it ourselves. We’ll do it to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us to build it.”Then the nations around Judah tried to make its people lose hope. They wanted to make them afraid to go on building.So those nations paid some of the Jewish officials to work against the people of Judah. They wanted their plans to fail. They did it during the whole time Cyrus was king of Persia. They kept doing it until Darius became king.The enemies of the Jews brought charges against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. It happened when Xerxes began to rule over Persia.Then Artaxerxes became king of Persia. During his rule, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their friends wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in the Aramaic language. And it used the Aramaic alphabet.Rehum and Shimshai also wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes. Rehum was the commanding officer. Shimshai was the secretary. Their letter was against the people of Jerusalem. It said,We, Rehum and Shimshai, are writing this letter. Rehum is the commanding officer. Shimshai is the secretary. Our friends join us in writing. They include the judges, officials and managers in charge of the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon. They are also over the Elamites from Susa.And they are over those who were forced to leave their countries. The great King Ashurbanipal, who is worthy of honor, forced them to leave. He moved them to the city of Samaria. He also moved them to other places west of the Euphrates River.Here is a copy of the letter sent to Artaxerxes. We are sending this letter to you, King Artaxerxes. It is from your servants who live west of the Euphrates River.We want you to know about the people who left you and have come up to us. They have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that evil city. It has caused trouble for a long time. Those people are making its walls like new again. They are repairing the foundations.Here is something else we want you to know. Suppose this city is rebuilt. And suppose its walls are made like new again. Then no more taxes, gifts or fees will be collected. And sooner or later there will be less money for you.We owe a lot to you. We don’t want to see dishonor brought on you. So we’re sending this letter to tell you what is going on.Then you can have a search made in the official records. Have someone check the records of the kings who ruled before you. If you do, you will find out that Jerusalem is an evil city. It causes trouble for kings and countries. For a long time the city has refused to let anyone rule over it. That’s why it was destroyed.We want you to know that this city shouldn’t be rebuilt. Its walls shouldn’t be made like new again. If that happens, you won’t have anything left west of the Euphrates River.The king replied, I am writing this letter to Rehum, the commanding officer. I am also writing it to Shimshai the secretary. And I am writing it to your friends living in Samaria and in other places west of the Euphrates River. I give you my greetings.The letter you sent us has been read to me. It has been explained to me in my language.I gave an order. I had a search made. Here is what we found out. Jerusalem has a long history of turning against the kings of the countries that have ruled over it. It has refused to remain under their control. It is always stirring up trouble.Jerusalem has had powerful kings. Some of them ruled over everything west of the Euphrates. Taxes, gifts and fees were paid to them.So give an order to those men. Make them stop their work. Then the city won’t be rebuilt until I give the order.Pay careful attention to this matter. Why should we let this danger grow? That would not be in our best interests.The copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary. It was also read to their friends. Right away they went to the Jews in Jerusalem. They forced them to stop their work.And so the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a stop. No more work was done on it until the second year that Darius was king of Persia.

Finally, let the Lord make you strong. Depend on his mighty power.

I can do all this by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.

But he said to me,“ My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ’s power can rest on me.

You are my God. Remember what Tobiah and Sanballat have done. Also remember the prophet Noadiah. She and the rest of the prophets have been trying to scare me.

Lord, I have gone to you for safety. Let me never be put to shame.

So put your hands to work. Strengthen your legs for the journey.

Then these officials said to the king,“ This man should be put to death. What he says is making the soldiers who are left in this city lose hope. It’s making all the people lose hope too. He isn’t interested in what is best for the people. In fact, he’s trying to destroy them.”

I will make my people strong. They will live in safety because of me,” announces the Lord.

So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will hold you safe in my hands. I always do what is right.

When I’m afraid, I put my trust in you.

During that time, the people in Judah spoke up. They said,“ The workers are getting weaker and weaker all the time. Broken stones are piled up everywhere. They are in our way. So we can’t rebuild the wall.”And our enemies said,“ We will be right there among them. We’ll kill them. We’ll put an end to their work. We’ll do it before they even know it or see us.”Then the Jews who lived near our enemies came to us. They told us ten times,“ No matter where you are, they’ll attack us.”So I stationed some people behind the lowest parts of the wall. That’s where our enemies could easily attack us. I stationed the people family by family. They had their swords, spears and bows with them.I looked things over. Then I stood up and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people. I said,“ Don’t be afraid of your enemies. Remember the Lord. He is great and powerful. So fight for your families. Fight for your sons and daughters. Fight for your wives and homes.”

But be strong. Don’t give up. God will reward you for your work.”

Then the officers called out in the Hebrew language to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall. They were trying to scare them and make them afraid. That’s because they wanted to capture the city.

Strengthen the hands of those who are weak. Help those whose knees give way.Say to those whose hearts are afraid,“ Be strong and do not fear. Your God will come. He will pay your enemies back. He will come to save you.”

David was greatly troubled. His men were even talking about killing him by throwing stones at him. All of them were very bitter because their sons and daughters had been taken away. But David was made strong by the Lord his God.

How wonderful is God in his holy place! The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Give praise to God!