Nehemiah 6 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Enemies Try to Make Nehemiah Fearful

1 Now it happened ^H834 when it was heard ^H8085 by Sanballat ^H5571, Tobiah ^H2900, Geshem ^H1654 the Arab ^H6163, and the rest ^H3499 of our enemies ^H340 that I had rebuilt ^H1129 the wall ^H2346, and that no ^H3808 breach ^H6556 remained ^H3498 in it, although ^H1571 at that time ^H6256 I had not made the doors ^H1817 to stand ^H5975 in the gates ^H8179,

2 that Sanballat ^H5571 and Geshem ^H1654 sent ^H7971 a message to me, saying ^H559, “Come ^H1980, let us meet ^H3259 together ^H3162 at [fn]Chephirim ^H3715 in the plain ^H1237 of Ono ^H207.” But they were planning ^H2803 to [fn]do me harm ^H7451. 3 So I sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to them, saying ^H559, “I am doing ^H6213 a great ^H1419 work ^H4399 and I cannot ^H3201 H3808 come ^H3381 down ^H3381. Why ^H4100 should the work ^H4399 stop ^H7673 while ^H834 I leave ^H7503 it and come ^H3381 down ^H3381 to you?” 4 And they sent ^H7971 messages to me four ^H702 times ^H6471 in this ^H2088 manner ^H1697, and I responded ^H7725 to them in the same ^H2088 manner ^H1697. 5 Then Sanballat ^H5571 sent ^H7971 his young ^H5288 man ^H5288 to me in the same ^H2088 manner ^H1697 a fifth ^H2549 time ^H6471 with an open ^H6605 letter ^H107 in his hand ^H3027. 6 In it was written ^H3789,

“It is heard ^H8085 among the nations ^H1471, and [fn]Gashmu ^H1654 says ^H559, that you and the Jews ^H3064 are planning ^H2803 to rebel ^H4775; therefore ^H5921 H3651 you are rebuilding ^H1129 the wall ^H2346. And you are to be their king ^H4428, according to these ^H428 words ^H1697.

7 You have also ^H1571 [fn]set ^H5975 up ^H5975 prophets ^H5030 to call ^H7121 out ^H7121 in Jerusalem ^H3389 concerning ^H5921 [fn]you, ‘A king ^H4428 is in Judah ^H3063!’ So now ^H6258 it will be heard ^H8085 by the king ^H4428 according to these ^H428 words ^H1697. So now ^H6258, come ^H1980, let us take ^H3289 counsel ^H3289 together ^H3162.”

8 Then I sent ^H7971 a message to him, saying ^H559,

“Such ^H428 words ^H1697 as you are saying ^H559 have not been ^H1961 done ^H1961, but you are devising ^H908 them in your own heart ^H3820.”

9 For all ^H3605 of them were trying to frighten ^H3372 us, [fn]thinking ^H559, “Their hands ^H3027 will [fn]become limp ^H7503 in doing the work ^H4399, and it will not be done ^H6213.” But now ^H6258, O God, strengthen ^H2388 my hands ^H3027.

10 Now I entered ^H935 the house ^H1004 of Shemaiah ^H8098 the son ^H1121 of Delaiah ^H1806, son ^H1121 of Mehetabel ^H4105, who ^H1931 was [fn]confined ^H6113 at home, and he said ^H559, “Let us meet ^H3259 together ^H3259 in the house ^H1004 of God ^H430, within ^H8432 the temple ^H1964, and let us close ^H5462 the doors ^H1817 of the temple ^H1964, for they are coming ^H935 to kill ^H2026 you, and they are coming ^H935 to kill ^H2026 you at night ^H3915.” 11 But I said ^H559, “Should a man ^H376 like ^H3644 me flee ^H1272? And could one such ^H3644 as I go ^H935 into the temple ^H1964 just to live ^H2421? I will not go ^H935 in ^H935.” 12 Then I recognized ^H5234 [fn]that surely ^H2009 God ^H430 had not sent ^H7971 him, but he spoke ^H1696 his prophecy ^H5016 against ^H5921 me because Tobiah ^H2900 and Sanballat ^H5571 had hired ^H7936 him. 13 He was hired ^H7936 for this ^H4616 reason ^H4616, that I might become ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and act ^H6213 accordingly ^H3651 and sin ^H2398, so that they could give ^H1961 me a bad ^H7451 name ^H8034 in order ^H4616 that they could reproach ^H2778 me. 14 Remember ^H2142, O my God ^H430, Tobiah ^H2900 and Sanballat ^H5571 according to these ^H428 works ^H4639 of theirs, and also ^H1571 Noadiah ^H5129 the prophetess ^H5031 and the rest ^H3499 of the prophets ^H5030 who ^H834 were trying to make ^H3372 me afraid ^H3372.

The Wall Is Finished

15 So the wall ^H2346 was finished ^H7999 on the twenty-fifth ^H6242 H2568 of the month Elul ^H435, in fifty-two ^H2572 days ^H3117.

16 Now it happened that when ^H834 all ^H3605 our enemies ^H340 heard ^H8085 of it, and all ^H3605 the nations ^H1471 surrounding ^H5439 us saw ^H7200 it, [fn]their confidence ^H5869 fell ^H5307. And they knew ^H3045 that it was from ^H4480 H854 our God ^H430 that this ^H2088 work ^H4399 had been accomplished ^H6213. 17 Also ^H1571 in those ^H1992 days ^H3117 many ^H7235 letters ^H107 went ^H1980 from the nobles ^H2715 of Judah ^H3063 to Tobiah ^H2900, and Tobiah’s ^H2900 letters came ^H935 to them. 18 For many ^H7227 in Judah ^H3063 were sworn ^H1167 by oath ^H7621 to him because ^H3588 he was the son-in-law ^H2860 of Shecaniah ^H7935 the son ^H1121 of Arah ^H733, and his son ^H1121 Jehohanan ^H3076 had taken ^H3947 the daughter ^H1323 of Meshullam ^H4918 the son ^H1121 of Berechiah ^H1296 as a wife. 19 Moreover ^H1571, they were speaking ^H559 about his good ^H2896 deeds ^H2896 in my presence ^H6440 and bringing ^H3318 my words ^H1697 to him. Then Tobiah ^H2900 sent ^H7971 letters ^H107 to make ^H3372 me afraid ^H3372.