Nehemiah 06 The Enemies Conspire to Surprise and Intimidate Nehemiah

 Nehemiah 06

The Enemies Conspire to Surprise and Intimidate Nehemiah

1 And it came to pass, when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach in it; and yet up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;

2 Sanballat and Geshem sent, saying, Come, let us assemble together in the villages in the valley of Ono. But they planned to do me harm.

3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it and come to you?

4 And they sent to me in the same manner four times; and I answered them in the same manner.

5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand: 

6 And in which it was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gusmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel, therefore you are building the wall, and that you will make yourself king over them according to these words; 

7 And that you have appointed prophets to preach about you in Jerusalem, saying, This is the king in Judah. ​​Now the king will hear according to these words; come now, and let us consult together. 

8 But I sent to him, saying, Nothing has come to pass of all that you say; but you have invented it out of your own heart. 

9 For they all tried to frighten us, saying, Both hands will let go of the work, and it will not be done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. 

10 And when I came into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabei, who was shut up, he said, Let us go together to the house of God, into the midst of the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to kill you; yes, they will come at night to kill you.

11 But I said, "Should a man like me flee? And who is there like me who can enter the temple and live? I will not go in."

12 And I knew that it was not God who had sent him; but this prophecy has spoken against me, because Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him.

13 They bribed him for this purpose, to make me afraid, so that I would do this and sin, that they might have cause to bring me into a bad name and to reproach me.

14 Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these deeds they did, and also the prophetess Naodiah, and the other prophets who tried to make me afraid.

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.

16 And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard it, that all the heathen that were round about us were afraid, and they were greatly humbled in their own eyes: for they knew that our God had done this work. 

17 And in those days certain nobles of Judah wrote many letters, and they went to Tobiah: and Tobiah's letters came to them. 

18 For many in Judah were sworn to 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. 

19 And his kindnesses were told to me, and my words were brought to him: therefore Tobiah wrote letters to make me afraid.