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Source language
JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH   
ואשלחה עליהם מלאכים לאמר--מלאכה גדולה אני עשה ולא אוכל לרדת למה תשבת המלאכה כאשר ארפה וירדתי אליכם
Hebrew - Transliteration via code library   
vASHlKHh `lyhm mlAkym lAmr--mlAkh gdvlh Any `SHh vlA Avkl lrdt lmh tSHbt hmlAkh kASHr Arph vyrdty Alykm

Intermediate language
Vulgate (Latin)   
misi ergo ad eos nuntios dicens opus grande ego facio et non possum descendere ne forte neglegatur cum venero et descendero ad vos

King James Variants
American King James Version   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
King James 2000 (out of print)   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?
King James Bible (Cambridge, large print)   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Authorized (King James) Version   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
New King James Version   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
21st Century King James Version   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?”

Other translations
American Standard Version   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Darby Bible Translation   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?
Holy Bible: Douay-Rheims Version (Genuine Leather Black)   
And I sent messengers to them, saying: I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down, lest it be neglected whilst I come, and go down to you.
ERV 1885 English Revised Version with Strong's Concordance   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
English Standard Version Journaling Bible   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
God's Word   
I sent messengers to tell them, "I'm working on an important project and can't get away. Why should the work stop while I leave to meet with you?"
Holman Christian Standard Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?"
International Standard Version   
So I sent messengers to them, replying "I am involved in a great endeavor, so I can't leave. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?"
NET Bible   
So I sent messengers to them saying, "I am engaged in 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?"
New American Standard Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
New International Version   
so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"
New Living Translation   
so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?"
Webster's Bible Translation   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
The World English Bible   
I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?"
EasyEnglish Bible   
So I sent this message back to them: ‘I am too busy to come and meet you. The work here is too important. I cannot stop the work here to come and meet you.’
Young‘s Literal Translation   
And I send unto them messengers, saying, `A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'
New Life Version   
So I sent men with word to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
The Voice Bible   
So instead of going, I sent messengers back to them. Nehemiah’s Message: I am in the middle of a great work and cannot be interrupted. I am not coming down to meet with you. What is so important that I should suspend this great work we are doing to travel to see you?
Living Bible   
so I replied by sending back this message to them: “I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?”
New Catholic Bible   
Therefore, I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am engaged in a great project, and I cannot come down to you at this particular time. Why should the work come to a grinding halt while I leave it and come down to you?”
Legacy Standard Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
Jubilee Bible 2000   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down; why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?
Christian Standard Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
Amplified Bible © 1954   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you?
New Century Version   
So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am doing a great work, and I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you.”
The Message   
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it—even though I hadn’t yet installed the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: “Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono.” I knew they were scheming to hurt me so I sent messengers back with this: “I’m doing a great work; I can’t come down. Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?”
Evangelical Heritage Version ™   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am working on an important project, and I am not able to come down. Why should the project stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?”
Good News Translation®   
I sent messengers to say to them, “I am doing important work and can't go down there. I am not going to let the work stop just to go and see you.”
Wycliffe Bible   
Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore (And so I sent messengers to them, and I said, I am doing important work here, and so I cannot go down there), lest peradventure it be done recklessly/lest peradventure it be done negligently, when I come, and go down to you.
Contemporary English Version   
So I sent messengers to tell them, “My work is too important to stop now and go there. I can't afford to slow down the work just to visit with you.”
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?”
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?’
Common English Bible © 2011   
so I sent messengers to tell them, “I’m doing important work, so I can’t come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?”
Amplified Bible © 2015   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to [meet with] you?”
English Standard Version Anglicised   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
New American Bible (Revised Edition)   
I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am engaged in a great enterprise and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop, while I leave it to come down to you?”
New American Standard Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
The Expanded Bible   
So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am ·doing [engaged in] a great work, and I can’t come down. ·I don’t want the work to [L Why should the work…?] stop while I leave to meet you.”
Tree of Life Version   
So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am doing an important work, so I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
Revised Standard Version   
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
New International Reader's Version   
So I sent messengers to them with my answer. I replied, “I’m working on a huge project. So I can’t get away. Why should the work stop while I leave it? Why should I go down and talk with you?”
BRG Bible   
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Complete Jewish Bible   
so I sent them messengers with this message: “I’m too busy with important work to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?”
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?’
Orthodox Jewish Bible   
And I sent malachim unto them, saying, I am doing a melachah gedolah, so that I cannot come down. Why should the melachah cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Names of God Bible   
I sent messengers to tell them, “I’m working on an important project and can’t get away. Why should the work stop while I leave to meet with you?”
Modern English Version   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so I am not able to come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”
Easy-to-Read Version   
So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am doing important work, so I cannot come down. I don’t want the work to stop just so I can come down and meet with you.”
International Children’s Bible   
So I sent messengers to them with this answer: “I am doing a great work. I can’t come down. I don’t want the work to stop while I leave to meet you.”
Lexham English Bible   
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I am not able to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you all?”
New International Version - UK   
so I sent messengers to them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?’