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;)
6:2 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.
6:3 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.
6:4 And they sent to me [again] to this effect; and I sent them [word]
accordingly.
6:5 Then Sanaballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.
6:6 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.
6:7 And moreover thou has appointed prophets to thyself, that thou mightest
dwell in Jerusalem as a king over Judah: and now these words will be reported
to the king. Now then, come, let us take counsel together.
6:8 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.
6:9 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.
6:10 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 Elohim, in the midst of it, and let us shut the doors of it; for they
are coming by night to slay thee.
6:11 And I said, Who is the man that shall enter into the house, that he ma
live?
6:12 And I observed, and, behold, Elohim had not sent him, for the prophecy was
a fable [devised] against me:
6:13 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.
6:14 Remember, O Elohim, Tobias and Sanaballat, according to these their deeds,
and the prophetess Noadia, and the rest of the prophets who tried to alarm
me.
6:15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the [month] Elul,
in fifty-two days.
6:16 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 Elohim that this work should be finished.
6:17 And in those days letters came to Tobias from many nobles of Judah, and
those of Tobias came to them.
6:18 For many in Judah 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.
6:19 And they reported his words to me, and carried out my words to him: and
Tobias sent letters to terrify me. |
6:1 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;)
6:2 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.
6:3 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?
6:4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them
after the same manner.
6:5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time
with an open letter in his hand;
6:6 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.
6:7 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.
6:8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou
sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
6:9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from
the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O Elohim, strengthen my hands.
6:10 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 Elohim, 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.
6:11 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.
6:12 And, lo, I perceived that Elohim had not sent him; but that he pronounced
this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
6:13 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.
6:14 My Elohim, 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.
6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul,
in fifty and two days.
6:16 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 Elohim.
6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto
Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
6:18 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.
6:19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to
him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. |