Discovery BoxNehemiah 6:3 
Context6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in 1 an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?”
Nehemiah 6:9
Context6:9 All of them were wanting 2 to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”
So now, strengthen my hands! 3
1 tn Heb “[am] doing.”
2 tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
3 tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
