Nehemiah 6

1 And it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arabian and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and there was left therein no breach, —though, up to that time, the doors, had I not set up in the gates,

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—

2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come! and let us meet together in the villages, in the valley of Ono, —But, they, were plotting to do me harm.

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.

3 So I sent unto them messengers, saying, A great work, am, I, doing, and cannot come down, —wherefore should the work cease whilst I leave it, and come down unto you?

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?”

4 Yet they sent unto me, according to this message, four times, —and I replied to them according to this answer.

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

5 Then Sanballat sent unto me, according to this message, a fifth time, by his young man, —with an open letter, in his hand:

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

6 wherein was written—Among the nations, it is reported, and, Gashmu, saith it, that, thou and the Jews, are plotting to rebel, for which cause, thou art building the wall, —and, thou, art to become their king, according to these words.

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,

7 Moreover also, prophets, hast thou set up to make proclamation concerning thee in Jerusalem, saying, He hath become king in Judah! Now, therefore, will it he reported to the king, according to these words. Now, therefore, come, and let us take counsel together.

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.”

8 Then sent I unto him, saying, Nothing hath been done, according to these words, which thou art saying, —but, out of thine own heart, art thou feigning them.

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

9 For, they all, were seeking to put us in fear, saying, Their hands will slacken from the work, and it will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, strengthen thou my hands!

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.

10 When, I, came into the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, he, being shut in, he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, in the midst of the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to slay thee, yea, by night, are they coming to slay thee.

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!”

11 Then said I, Should, such a man as I, flee? Who then, being such as I, would enter the temple to save his life? I will not enter.

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!”

12 Then perceived I, that lo! it was, not God, who had sent him, —though, a prophecy, he had spoken concerning me, but, Tobiah and Sanballat, had hired him:

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

13 to this end, hired, he was, to the end that I might be afraid and do so, and might sin, —and it might serve them for an evil report, to the end they might bring reproach upon me.

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.

14 Have remembrance, O my God, of Tobiah and of Sanballat, according to these their doings, —moreover also, of Noadiah the prophetess, and of the rest of the prophets, who would have put me in fear.

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.

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

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

16 And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard, and all the nations that were round about us saw, that they fell greatly in their own eyes, and took knowledge that, from God, had this work been wrought.

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.

17 Moreover, in those days, were the nobles of Judah busy with their letters which were going unto Tobiah, —and those of Tobiah were coming unto them;

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

18 for, many in Judah, had taken an oath to him, because he was in marriage affinity with Shecaniah son of Arah, —and, Jehohanan his son, had taken the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah.

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.

19 Moreover, his good deeds, were they telling before me, and, my affairs, were they carrying out to him, —letters, did Tobiah send to put me in fear.

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.