Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
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 —
Now
it
came
to
pass
when Sanballat, and
Tobiah, and
Geshem the Arabian
, and the rest of our enemies ,
heard that I had builded
the wall ,
and that
there
was no
breach
left therein;
(
though at
that time I had not set
up
the doors upon
the gates ;)
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.
That
Sanballat and Geshem sent unto
me ,
saying,
Come, let us meet together in some
one of the villages in
the plain of Ono. But they thought
to do
me mischief
.
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? ”
And
I sent messengers unto
them, saying, I am doing a great work ,
so
that
I
cannot come down :
why should the work cease,
whilst
I leave it ,
and
come
down to you?
Four
times
they sent me the
same
message,
and each
time
I gave
the same reply
.
Yet
they sent unto
me four
times
after
this
sort;
and I answered
them
after
the same manner
.
The
fifth
time,
Sanballat
sent me
this
same
message
by
his young
servant ,
who
had
in his
hand
an unsealed
letter
Then
sent Sanballat
his servant unto
me
in like
manner
the
fifth
time
with
an open
letter in
his
hand;
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,
Wherein
was
written,
It is reported among the heathen,
and Gashmu
saith
it,
that thou
and the Jews think
to rebel:
for
which
cause
thou
buildest
the wall, that
thou
mayest
be
their king, according
to
these
words.
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. ”
And thou
hast
also
appointed prophets to preach
of
thee
at
Jerusalem,
saying,
There is a king in Judah :
and
now
shall
it
be
reported
to
the king according
to
these
words
. Come now
therefore
, and
let us take
counsel
together.
Then I sent him this
reply:
“
There is
nothing
to
these
rumors
you
are spreading;
you
are
inventing
them in
your
own mind
. ”
Then I sent unto
him ,
saying,
There are no
such
things
done
as
thou
sayest,
but
thou
feignest
them out
of
thine
own heart
.
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.
For they all made
us afraid
, saying, Their hands shall
be weakened from
the work, that
it be not
done
. Now therefore
, O
God, strengthen my hands.
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!”
Afterward
I came
unto
the house of Shemaiah the
son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel
, who was shut
up;
and
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 will
come
to slay
thee;
yea,
in
the
night will
they come
to slay
thee.
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 !”
And
I said
, Should such
a man as
I
flee
? and
who
is
there,
that,
being
as
I
am,
would
go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
I realized
that God had not sent him ,
but that he had
uttered
this prophecy against me because
Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
And,
lo,
I perceived
that God had not sent him ;
but that he pronounced
this prophecy against me :
for
Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
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.
Therefore
was
he hired ,
that I should
be
afraid
, and
do
so ,
and
sin,
and
that
they might
have
matter
for
an
evil
report,
that
they
might
reproach
me.
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.
My God, think
thou
upon
Tobiah and Sanballat according
to
these
their
works
, and on
the prophetess Noadiah,
and the rest
of
the
prophets ,
that
would
have
put
me in
fear
.
So the wall was completed
in fifty-two
days,
on
the twenty -
fifth of Elul.
So the wall was finished
in the twenty and
fifth day
of the
month
Elul ,
in
fifty
and
two
days
.
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.
And
it
came
to
pass,
that
when all our enemies heard thereof
, and
all the heathen
that
were about
us
saw
these
things
, they
were
much
cast
down
in
their
own
eyes:
for they perceived
that this work
was
wrought
of
our God.
Also
in those days ,
the nobles of Judah sent many letters to
Tobiah, and Tobiah’s
letters came back
to
them.
Moreover
in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto
Tobiah, and the
letters of
Tobiah
came unto
them.
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.
For there
were
many in Judah sworn
unto
him, because
he was the
son in law of Shechaniah
the
son of Arah ;
and his son Johanan
had taken
the daughter of Meshullam the
son of Berechiah.
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.
Also
they
reported
his
good deeds before
me
, and uttered
my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put
me in
fear
.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..