Nehemiah 4:16 nasb — From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and…

NASB

"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."

— Nehemiah 4:16, NASB

Read in Another Translation

5 of 21 translations

Nehemiah 4:16 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “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.”

  • ASV

    “And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. ”

  • WEB

    “It happened from that time forth, that half of my servants worked in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.”

  • NET

    “From that day forward, half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all the people of Judah”

  • DRB

    “And it came to pass from that day forward, that half of their young men did the work, and half were ready for to fight, with spears, and shields, and bows, and coats of mail, and the rulers were behind them in all the house of Juda.”

  • BBE

    “And from that time, half of my servants were doing their part of the work, and half kept the spears and body-covers and the bows and the metal war-dresses; and the chiefs were at the back of the men of Judah.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Nehemiah 4 — Context

13

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.

14

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."

15

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.

16

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.

17

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.

18

As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.

19

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.

Nehemiah 4:16 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Nehemiah 4:16 say?
Nehemiah 4:16 in the NASB reads: “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.”
Where is Nehemiah 4:16 in the Bible?
Nehemiah 4:16 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Nehemiah, chapter 4, verse 16.
Who wrote Nehemiah?
Nehemiah is traditionally attributed to Nehemiah (largely from his memoirs). It was written c. 445–425 BC.
What is the book of Nehemiah about?
Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, leads the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls against fierce opposition. The book combines stirring leadership with covenant renewal, ending with reform of priesthood, sabbath, and intermarriage.
What are the major themes of Nehemiah?
Nehemiah explores themes including Leadership, Prayer, Rebuilding, Opposition, Covenant Renewal. These themes shape the meaning and context of Nehemiah 4:16.
What translation should I read Nehemiah 4:16 in?
Nehemiah 4:16 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Nehemiah 4:16?
Nehemiah 4:16 reads (NASB): “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.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
GodsGoodBook logo

GodsGoodBook

Making God's Word accessible to everyone

Experience the Bible like never before with multiple translations, powerful search tools, and features to make God's Word personal to you. Completely free, forever.

Features

15+ Bible Translations
Powerful Search Tools
Highlight & Annotate
Share Verses
100% Free Forever
© 2025 GodsGoodBookVersion 1.8.2