Nehemiah 6

1 And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there were no more breaches therein, (though at that time I had not set vp the doores vpon the gates)

Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem, an Arab, and our other enemies, had heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no interruption remaining in it, (even though, at that time, I had not set up the double doors at the gates, )

2 Then sent Sanballat and Geshem vnto me, saying, Come thou that we may meete together in the villages in the plaine of Ono: and they thought to doe me euill.

Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying: “Come, and let us strike a pact together in the villages, on the plain of Ono.” But they were thinking that they would do me harm.

3 Therefore I sent messengers vnto them, saying, I haue a great worke to doe, and I can not come downe: why should the worke cease, whiles I leaue it, and come downe to you?

Therefore, 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.”

4 Yet they sent vnto me foure times after this sort. And I answered them after the same maner.

Then they sent to me, with this same word, four times. And I responded to them with the same word as before.

5 Then sent Sanballat his seruant after this sorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand,

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

6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu hath sayd it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebel, for the which cause thou buildest the wall and thou wilt bee their King according to these wordes.

“It has been heard among the Gentiles, and Geshem has said it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and because of this, you are building the wall and thinking to raise yourself as a king over them. For this reason,

7 Thou hast also ordeyned the Prophets to preach of thee at Ierusalem, saying, There is a King in Iudah: and nowe according to these wordes it shall come to the Kings eares: come now therefore, and let vs take counsell together.

you also have stationed prophets, who preach about you in Jerusalem, saying: ‘There is a king in Judea!’ But the king will hear about these words. Therefore, come now, so that we may go to counsel together.”

8 Then I sent vnto him, saying, It is not done according to these wordes that thou sayest: for thou feynest them of thine owne heart.

And I sent to them, saying: “There has been nothing done according to these words, which you have spoken. For you are inventing these things from your own heart.”

9 For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore incourage thou me.

For all these men wished to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would cease. For this reason, I strengthened my hands all the more.

10 And I came to the house of Shemaiah the sonne of Delaiah the sonne of Mehetabeel, and he was shut vp, and he said, Let vs come together into the house of God in the middes of the Temple, and shut the doores of the Temple: for they will come to slay thee: yea, in the night will they come to kill thee.

And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, in secret. And he said: “Let us consult together in the house of God, in the midst of the temple. And let us close the doors of the temple. For they will come to kill you, and they will arrive in the night to put you to death.”

11 Then I said, Should such a man as I, flee? Who is he, being as I am, that would go into the Temple to liue? I will not goe in.

And I said: “How could anyone like me flee? And who like me should enter the temple, so that he may live? I will not enter.”

12 And loe, I perceiued, that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

And I understood that God had not sent him, but he had spoken to me as if he were prophesying, and that Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore was he hyred, that I might be afrayde, and doe thus, and sinne, and that they might haue an euill report that they might reproche me.

For he had accepted money, so that I would be afraid, and would sin, and so that they would have some evil with which to rebuke me.

14 My God, remember thou Tobiah, and Sanballat according vnto these their workes, and Noadiah the Prophetesse also, and the rest of the Prophets that would haue put me in feare.

Remember me, O Lord, because of Tobiah and Sanballat, because of their works of this kind. Then, too, Noadiah, a prophetess, and the rest of the prophets, would have made me afraid.

15 Notwithstanding the wall was finished on the fiue and twentieth day of Elul, in two and fiftie dayes.

Now the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.

16 And when all our enemies heard thereof, euen all the heathen that were about vs, they were afraid, and their courage failed them: for they knew, that this worke was wrought by our God.

Then it happened that, when all our enemies had heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they were downcast within themselves. For they knew that this work had been accomplished by God.

17 And in these dayes were there many of the princes of Iudah, whose letters went vnto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came vnto them.

But also, in those days, many letters were being sent by the nobles of the Jews to Tobiah, and were arriving from Tobiah to them.

18 For there were many in Iudah, that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Shechaniah, the sonne of Arah: and his sonne Iehonathan had the daughter of Meshullam, the sonne of Berechiah.

For there were many in Judea who had sworn an oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, the son of Arah, and because Jehohanan, his son, had married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

19 Yea, they spake in his praise before me, and tolde him my wordes, and Tobiah sent letters to put me in feare.

Moreover, they praised him before me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters, so that he might make me afraid.