Nehemiah 6

1 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; )

And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates, )

2 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.

that Sanballat sendeth, also Geshem, unto me, saying, 'Come and we meet together in the villages, in the valley of Ono;' and they are thinking to do to me evil.

3 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.

And I send unto them messengers, saying, 'A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'

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

and they send unto me, according to this word, four times, and I return them [word] according to this word.

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

And Sanballat sendeth unto me, according to this word, a fifth time, his servant, and an open letter in his hand;

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

it is written in it, 'Among the nations it hath been heard, and Gashmu is saying: Thou and the Jews are thinking to rebel, therefore thou art building the wall, and thou hast been to them for a king — according to these words!

7 And moreover thou has appointed prophets to thyself, that thou mightest 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.

And also, prophets thou hast appointed to call for thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king [is] in Judah, and now it is heard by the king according to these words; and now come, and we take counsel together.'

8 And I sent to him, saying, It has not happened according to these words, [even] as thou sayest, for thou framest them falsely out of thy heart.

And I send unto him, saying, 'It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;'

9 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.

for all of them are making us afraid, saying, 'Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;' and now, strengthen Thou my hands.

10 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 slay thee.

And I have entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel — and he is restrained — and he saith, 'Let us meet at the house of God, at the inside of the temple, and we shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming in to slay thee — yea, by night they are coming in to slay thee.'

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

And I say, 'A man such as I — doth he flee? and who as I, that doth go in unto the temple, and live? — I do not go in.'

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

And I discern, and lo, God hath not sent him, for in the prophecy he hath spoken unto me both Tobiah and Sanballat hired him,

13 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.

so that he [is] an hireling, that I may fear and do so, and I had sinned, and it had been to them for an evil name that they may reproach me.

14 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.

Be mindful, O my God, of Tobiah, and of Sanballat, according to these his works, and also, of Noadiah the prophetess, and of the rest of the prophets who have been making me afraid.

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

And the wall is completed in the twenty and fifth of Elul, on the fifty and second day;

16 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.

and it cometh to pass, when all our enemies have heard, and all the nations who are round about us see, that they fall greatly in their own eyes, and know that by our God hath this work been done.

17 And in those days letters came to Tobias from many nobles of Juda, and those of Tobias came to them.

Also, in those days the freemen of Judah are multiplying their letters going unto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah are coming in unto them;

18 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.

for many in Judah are sworn to him, for he [is] son-in-law to Shechaniah son of Arah, and Jehohanan his son hath taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah;

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

also, his good deeds they have been saying before me, and my words they have been taking out to him; letters hath Tobiah sent to make me afraid.