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,

Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and Gesam the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and [that] there was no opening left therein; ([but] hitherto I had not set up the doors on 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.

that Sanaballat and Gesam sent to me, saying, Come and let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they [were] plotting to do me mischief.

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 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.

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

And they sent to me [again] to this effect; and I sent them [word] accordingly.

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

Then Sanaballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

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.

And in it was written, It has been reported among the Gentiles that you and the Jews are planning to revolt: therefore you are building the wall, and you will be a king to them.

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 moreover you has appointed prophets to yourself, that you might dwell in Jerusalem as a king over Juda: and now these words will be reported to the king. Now then, come, let us take counsel 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.

And I sent to him, saying, It has not happened according to these words, [even] as you say, for you frame them falsely out of your heart.

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 all were trying to alarm us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from this work, and it shall not be done. Now therefore I have strengthened 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.

And I came into the house of Semei the son of Dalaia the Son of Metabeel, and he was shut up; and he said, Let us assemble together in the house of God, in the midst of it, and let us shut the doors of it; for they are coming by night 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.

And I said, Who is the man that shall enter into the house, that he may live?

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:

And I observed, and, behold, God had not sent him, for the prophecy was a fable [devised] against me:

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.

and Tobias and Sanaballat had hired against me a multitude, that I might be frightened, and do this, and sin, and become to them an ill name, that they might reproach 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.

Remember, O God, Tobias and Sanaballat, according to these their deeds, and the prophetess Noadia, and the rest of the prophets who tried to alarm me.

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

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the [month] Elul, in fifty-two days.

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.

And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard [of it], that all the nations round about us feared, and great alarm fell upon them, and they knew that it was of our God that this work should be finished.

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;

And in those days letters came to Tobias from many nobles of Juda, and those of Tobias came 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 Juda were bound to him by oath, because he was son-in-law of Sechenias the son of Herae; and Jonan his son had taken the daughter of Mesulam the son of Barachia to wife.

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.

And they reported his words to me, and carried out my words to him: and Tobias sent letters to terrify me.