KJV ORIGINAL
And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Next to them, the people from Tekoa worked on repairs, but their leaders refused to do the hard work for their Lord.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse shows that while ordinary people from Tekoa worked faithfully to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, their wealthy leaders were too proud to get their hands dirty.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls around 445 BC after the Jewish return from Babylonian exile. Tekoa was a town about 12 miles south of Jerusalem, and its common people volunteered to help rebuild despite their leaders' refusal to participate. The phrase 'put not their necks to the work' refers to the leaders being too proud to bow down and do manual labor.
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