Nehemiah 6 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Enemy’s Plot

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

2 Sanballat ^H5571 and Geshem ^H1654 sent ^H7971 a message to me, saying ^H559, “Come ^H1980, let’s meet ^H3259 together ^H3162 [fn]at Chephirim ^H3715 in the plain ^H1237 of Ono ^H207.” But they were plotting ^H2803 to [fn]harm ^H7451 me. 3 So I sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to them, saying ^H559, “I am doing ^H6213 a great ^H1419 work ^H4399 and am ^H3201 unable ^H3201 H3808 to 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 Then they sent ^H7971 messages to me four ^H702 times ^H6471 worded ^H1697 in this ^H2088 way ^H2088, and I answered ^H7725 them with the same ^H2088 wording ^H1697. 5 Then Sanballat ^H5571 sent ^H7971 his servant ^H5288 to me in the same ^H2088 way ^H1697 a fifth ^H2549 time ^H6471 with an open ^H6605 letter ^H107 in his hand ^H3027. 6 In it was written ^H3789: “It is reported ^H8085 among the nations ^H1471, and [fn]Gashmu ^H1654 says ^H559, that you and the Jews ^H3064 intend ^H2803 to rebel ^H4775; for ^H5921 that ^H5921 H3651 reason ^H5921 H3651 you are rebuilding ^H1129 the wall ^H2346. And you are to be their king ^H4428, according to these ^H428 reports ^H1697. 7 You have also ^H1571 appointed ^H5975 prophets ^H5030 to proclaim ^H7121 in Jerusalem ^H3389 concerning ^H5921 [fn]you, ‘A king ^H4428 is in Judah ^H3063!’ And now ^H6258 it will be reported ^H8085 to the king ^H4428 according to these ^H428 reports ^H1697. So come ^H1980 now ^H6258, let’s consult ^H3289 together ^H3162.” 8 Then I sent ^H7971 a message to him saying ^H559, “Nothing like these ^H428 things ^H1697 that you are saying ^H559 has been ^H1961 done ^H1961, but you are inventing ^H908 them [fn]in your own mind ^H3820.” 9 For all ^H3605 of them were trying to frighten ^H3372 us, [fn]thinking ^H559, “[fn]They will become ^H3027 H7503 discouraged ^H7503 H3027 with the work ^H4399 and it will not be done ^H6213.” But now ^H6258, God, strengthen ^H2388 my hands ^H3027.

10 When I entered ^H935 the house ^H1004 of Shemaiah ^H8098 the son ^H1121 of Delaiah ^H1806, son ^H1121 of Mehetabel ^H4105, who ^H1931 was confined ^H6113 at home, he said ^H559, “Let’s meet ^H3259 together ^H3259 in the house ^H1004 of God ^H430, within ^H8432 the temple ^H1964, and let’s 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 who ^H4310 is there like ^H3644 me who would go ^H935 into the temple ^H1964 [fn]to save ^H2421 his own life ^H2421? I will not go ^H935 in ^H935.” 12 Then I realized ^H5234 [fn]that God ^H430 certainly ^H2009 had not sent ^H7971 him, but he uttered ^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 would become ^H3372 frightened ^H3372 and act ^H6213 accordingly ^H3651 and sin ^H2398, so that they might have ^H1961 an evil ^H7451 report ^H8034 in ^H4616 order ^H4616 that ^H4616 they could taunt ^H2778 me. 14 Remember ^H2142, my God ^H430, Tobiah ^H2900 and Sanballat ^H5571 in accordance with 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 frighten ^H3372 me.

The Wall Is Finished

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

16 When ^H834 all ^H3605 our enemies ^H340 heard ^H8085 about it, and all ^H3605 the nations ^H1471 surrounding ^H5439 us saw ^H7200 it, they [fn]lost ^H5307 their confidence ^H5869; for they realized ^H3045 that this ^H2088 work ^H4399 had been accomplished ^H6213 [fn]with the help ^H4480 of our God ^H430. 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 [fn]Tobiah’s ^H2900 letters came ^H935 to them. 18 For many ^H7227 in Judah ^H3063 were bound ^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 married ^H3947 the daughter ^H1323 of Meshullam ^H4918 the son ^H1121 of Berechiah ^H1296. 19 Moreover ^H1571, they were speaking ^H559 about his good ^H2896 deeds ^H2896 in my presence ^H6440, and were reporting ^H3318 my words ^H1697 to him. Then Tobiah ^H2900 sent ^H7971 letters ^H107 to frighten ^H3372 me.