Nehemiah 6

1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates—

And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and Gossem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it, (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, )

2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me.

Sanaballat and Gossem Rent to me, saying: Come, and let us make a league together in the villages, in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 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 it to go down to you?”

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.

4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.

And they sent to me according to this word, four times: and I answered them after the same manner.

5 The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter

And Sanaballat sent his servant to me the fifth time according to the former word, and he had a letter in his hand written in this manner:

6 that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king,

It is reported amongst the Gentiles, and Gossem hath said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, and therefore thou buildest the wall, and hast a mind to set thyself king over them: for which end

7 and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.”

Thou hast also set up prophets, to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying: There is a king in Judea. The king will hear of these things: therefore come now, that we may take counsel together.

8 Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

And I sent to them, saying: There is no such thing done as thou sayest: but thou feignest these things out of thy own heart.

9 For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.

For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off. Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:

10 Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you— by night they are coming to kill you!”

And I went into the house of Samaia the son of Delaia, the son of Metabeel privately. And he said: Let us consult together in the house of God in the midst of the temple: and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come to kill thee, and in the night they will come to slay thee.

11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”

And I said: Should such a man as I Bee? and who is there that being as I am, would go into the temple, to save his life? I will not go in.

12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

And I understood that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken to me as if he had been prophesying, and Tobias, and Sanaballat had hired him.

13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.

For he had taken money, that I being afraid should do this thing, and sin, and they might have some evil to upbraid me withal.

14 O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.

Remember me, O Lord, for Tobias and Sanaballat, according to their works of this kind: and Noadias the prophet, and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

But the wall was finished the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, in two and fifty days.

16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

And it came to pass when all our enemies heard of it, that all nations which were round about us, were afraid, and were cast down within themselves, for they perceived that this work was the work of God.

17 Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.

Moreover in those days many letters were sent by the principal men of the Jews to Tobias, and from Tobias there came letters to them.

18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

For there were many in Judea sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Sechenias the son of Area, and Johanan his son had taken to wife the daughter of Mosollam the son of Barachias.

19 Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

And they praised him also before me, and they related my words to him: And Tobias sent letters to put me in fear.