Nehemiah, Chapter 6:
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Verses from Nehemiah, Chapter 6 of the book of Nehemiah in the Bible.
More opposition to reconstruction
- 1. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the other enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there was no breach in it, although the gates were not yet in place,
- 2. Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, saying, “Come, let us meet at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” They, however, were plotting to do me harm;
- 3. So I sent messengers with this response: “I'm involved in a big project and I can't come down. Why stop work to come and meet you?”
- 4. They sent the same message four times, and each time I gave them the same answer.
- 5. Then for the fifth time Sanballat sent one of his servants to me with the same message, and he had with him an open letter
- 6. which said: “As it is heard among the nations, and Geshem confirms it, you and the Jews are planning a revolt and, therefore, you are rebuilding the wall. Furthermore, you are about to become their king,
- 7. and appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' This information will be taken to the king. Let’s meet to discuss the matter.”
- 8. I sent them this answer: “None of the things you say is happening; you are making this all up.”
- 9. They were trying to intimidate us, thinking, “They will be weakened and won’t be able to finish the work.” So I prayed: “Strengthen my hands, O my God!”
- 10. Once I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, grandson of Mehetabel, who was locked up in his house. He said to me: “Let's meet at the house of God, inside the temple, and close the doors, because they are planning to kill you; they will come during the night.”
- 11. But I said to him, “Should someone like me run away? Should someone like me enter the temple to save my life? No, I won’t!”
- 12. I realized that God had not sent him, but that he spoke those words as if they were a prophecy, because Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him.
- 13. He had been hired to intimidate me and cause me to sin, so that they would have reason to defame and discredit me.
- 14. Remember, O my God, Tobit and Sanballat, as well as the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who were trying to intimidate me.
The wall is finished
- 15. The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.
- 16. When all our enemies heard about this, all the nations around us were terrified and their pride was hurt, because they realized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
- 17. Furthermore, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and he sent them answers.
- 18. Many in Judah were bound to him by oaths, for he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Johanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
- 19. They even spoke well of him in my presence and told him my words. And Tobias continued to send me letters to intimidate me.
