New International Versionso 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 Translationso 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?”
English Standard VersionAnd 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?”
Berean Standard BibleSo I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”
King James BibleAnd 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 VersionSo 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?”
New American Standard BibleSo 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?”
NASB 1995So 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?”
NASB 1977So 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?”
Legacy Standard BibleSo 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?”
Amplified BibleSo 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?”
Christian Standard BibleSo 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? ”
Holman Christian Standard BibleSo 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?”
American Standard VersionAnd 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?
Contemporary English VersionSo 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."
English Revised VersionAnd 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?
GOD'S WORD® TranslationI 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?"
Good News TranslationI 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."
International Standard VersionSo 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 BibleSo 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 Heart English BibleI 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?"
Webster's Bible TranslationAnd 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?
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard BibleSo I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”
World English BibleI 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?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard VersionAnd I send to them messengers, saying, “A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why does the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down to 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?'
Smith's Literal TranslationAnd I shall send messengers to them, saying, I do a great work, and I shall not be able to come down: wherefore shall the work cease when I shall desist and come down to you?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims BibleAnd 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.
Catholic Public Domain VersionTherefore, I sent messengers to them, saying: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot descend, lest perhaps it may be neglected when I go out and descend to you.”
New American BibleI 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 Revised Standard VersionSo 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?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa BibleAnd I sent a messenger to them, saying, I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down, lest the work cease, while I leave it and come down to you.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedAnd I sent them a Messenger and I said to them: “I am doing a great work and I cannot go down, lest it would stop when I leave and come down to join you.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917And 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?'
Brenton Septuagint TranslationSo I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I shall not be able to come down, lest the work should cease: as soon as I shall have finished it, I will come down to you.
Additional Translations ... 
