Nehemiah 6

The Enemy’s Plot

6NOW WHEN Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates,H5571H2900H1654H6163H3499H341H8085H1129H2346H6556H3498H1571H5704H6256H5975H1817H81792Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm.H5571H1654H7971H559H3212H3259H3162H3715H1237H207H2803H6213H74513And 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 you?H7971H4397H559H6213H1419H4399H3201H3381H4399H7673H834H7503H33814They sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before.H7971H702H6471H1697H7725H16975Then Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter.H7971H5571H5288H1697H2549H6471H6605H107H30276In it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report.H3789H8085H1471H1654H559H3064H2803H4775H3651H1129H2346H1933H4428H16977Also you have set up prophets to announce concerning you in Jerusalem, There is a king in Judah. And now this will be reported to the [Persian] king. So, come now and let us take counsel together.H5975H5030H7121H3389H559H4428H3063H8085H4428H1697H3212H3289H31628I replied to him, No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own heart {and} mind.H7971H559H1961H1697H1961H559H908H38209For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be so weak that the work will not be done. But now strengthen my hands!H3372H559H3027H7503H4399H6213H2388H302710I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up. He said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you--at night they are coming to kill you.H935H1004H8098H1121H1806H1121H4105H6113H559H3259H1004H430H8432H1964H5462H1817H1964H935H2026H3915H935H202611But I said, Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple [where only the priests are allowed to go] and yet live? I will not go in.H559H3644H376H1272H935H1964H2425H93512And behold, I saw that God had not sent him, but he made this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.H5234H430H7971H1696H5016H2900H5571H793613He was hired that I should be made afraid and do as he said and sin, that they might have matter for an evil report with which to taunt {and} reproach me.H7936H3372H6213H2398H7451H8034H277814My God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.H430H2142H2900H5571H4639H5031H5129H3499H5030H3372

The Wall Is Finished

15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.H2346H7999H6242H2568H435H2572H8147H311716When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us feared and fell far in their own esteem, for they saw that this work was done by our God.H341H8085H1471H5439H7200H3966H5307H5869H3045H4399H6213H43017Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.H3117H2715H3063H1980H7235H107H2900H2900H93518For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.H7227H3063H1167H7621H2860H7935H1121H733H1121H3076H3947H1323H4918H1121H129619Also they spoke of [Tobiah's] good deeds before me and told him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.H559H2896H6440H3318H1697H2900H7971H107H3372