⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;^(A) do not be discouraged,^(B) for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”^(C)

¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all the foreigners^(A) residing in Israel, after the census^(B) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600.

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah,^(A) the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together^(B) to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. ⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers^(C) is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid^(D) of them. Remember^(E) the Lord, who is great and awesome,^(F) and fight^(G) for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

God’s Answer

⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.^(A) There will be famines^(B) and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted^(C) and put to death,^(D) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.^{(E) 10} At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets^(F) will appear and deceive many people.^{(G) 12} Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(H) 14} And this gospel of the kingdom^(I) will be preached in the whole world^(J) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life.^(A)