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.

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.”

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.”

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.

On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel,they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them,“ Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.”But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them,“ You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to buildand bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and the rest of their associates wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated.Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates, the judges, the governors, the officials, the Persians, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites,and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River.( This is a copy of the letter that they sent.)“ To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And nowbe it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations.Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.Now because we eat the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king,in order that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will find in the book of the records and learn that this city is a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it from of old. That was why this city was laid waste.We make known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.”The king sent an answer:“ To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And nowthe letter that you sent to us has been plainly read before me.And I made a decree, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city from of old has risen against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made in it.And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.Therefore make a decree that these men be made to cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until a decree is made by me.And take care not to be slack in this matter. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”Then, when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

But he said to me,“ My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,

Then the officials said to the king,“ Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.”

I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord.

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

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.”And our enemies said,“ They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.”At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times,“ You must return to us.”So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to 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 homes.”

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.Say to those who have an anxious heart,“ Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”

And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel— he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!