Verse
WEB
World English Bible
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
Now
it
happened,
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 that
there
was no
breach
left therein;
(
though even
to that time I had not set
up
the doors 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 —
that
Sanballat and Geshem sent to
me ,
saying,
Come, let us meet together in [
one of ]
the villages in
the plain of Ono. But they thought
to do
me mischief
.
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.
I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work ,
so
that
I
can't
come down :
why should the work cease,
while I leave it ,
and
come
down to 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? ”
They sent to
me four
times
after
this
sort;
and I answered
them
after
the same manner
.
Four
times
they sent me the
same
message,
and each
time
I gave
the same reply
.
Then
sent
Sanballat
his
servant
to
me
in
like
manner
the fifth time 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
in
which
was
written,
It is reported among the nations ,
and Gashmu
says
it,
that you and the Jews think
to rebel;
for
which
cause
you are building the wall :
and
you would
be
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,
You have also
appointed prophets to
preach
of
you
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.
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. ”
Then I sent to
him ,
saying,
There are
no
such
things
done
as
you say,
but
you feign
them out
of
your own heart
.
Then I sent him this
reply:
“
There is
nothing
to
these
rumors
you are
spreading;
you are
inventing
them in
your own mind
. ”
For they all would
have
made
us afraid
, saying, Their hands shall
be weakened from
the work, that
it not
be done
. But now, [
God ]
, strengthen you
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.
I went to the house of Shemaiah the
son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, 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 kill you ;
yes,
in
the
night will
they come
to kill you .
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 !”
I said
, Should such
a man as
I
flee
? and
who
is
there
that,
being
such
as
I,
would
go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
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 !”
I discerned,
and,
behold,
God had not sent him ;
but he pronounced
this prophecy against me :
and
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.
For
this
cause
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.
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
.
Remember,
my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according
to
these
their
works
, and also the prophetess Noadiah,
and the rest
of
the
prophets ,
that
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.
So the wall was finished
in the twenty-fifth [day]
of [the
month]
Elul ,
in
fifty-two
days
.
So the wall was completed
in fifty-two
days,
on
the twenty-fifth of Elul.
It
happened,
when all our enemies heard [of
it]
, that
all the nations that
were about
us
feared,
and were
much
cast
down
in
their
own
eyes;
for they perceived
that this work
was
worked
of
our God.
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.
Moreover
in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and [the
letters ]
of
Tobiah
came to them.
Also
in those days ,
the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s
letters came back
to them.
For there
were
many in Judah sworn
to him, because
he was the
son-in-law of Shecaniah the
son of Arah ;
and his son Jehohanan had taken
the daughter of Meshullam the
son of Berechiah as
wife
.
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.
Also
they
spoke
of
his
good deeds before
me
, and reported
my words to him. Tobiah sent letters 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.
Scripture text: World English Bible and Berean Standard Bible. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.; Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC..