Nehemiah 6

Attempts to Discourage the Builders

1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies  * 6:1 Neh 2:10,19 heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it  * 6:1 Neh 4:6–7  — though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates  * 6:1 Neh 3:1  —  2 Sanballat and Geshem  * 6:2 Neh 2:10 sent me a message: "Come, let’s meet together in the villages of  * 6:2 Or together at Kephirim in the Ono Valley."  * 6:2 1Ch 8:12 They were planning to harm me.

3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you? " 4 Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.

5 Sanballat  * 6:5 Neh 2:10 sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written:

It is reported among the nations — and Geshem  * 6:6 Lit Gashmu,* 6:6 Neh 2:19 agrees — that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king 7 and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf, "There is a king in Judah."  * 6:7 Zch 9:9 These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.

8 Then I replied to him, "There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind."  * 6:8 Jb 13:4; Ps 52:29 For they were all trying to intimidate  * 6:9 Ezr 3:3 us, saying, "They will drop their hands from  * 6:9 Or will give up on the work,  * 6:9 Ezr 4:4 and it will never be finished."

But now, my God, strengthen my hands.  * 6:9 Neh 5:19; 13:22; Ps 138:3

Attempts to Intimidate Nehemiah

10 I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:

Let’s meet at the house of God,

inside the temple.

Let’s shut the temple doors

because they’re coming to kill you.

They’re coming to kill you tonight!  * 6:10 Or by night

11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live?  * 6:10–11 Nm 18:7 I will not go." 12 I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat  * 6:12 Neh 2:10; 6:1 had hired him. 13 He was hired, so that I would be intimidated,  * 6:13 Ezr 3:3 do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

14 My God, remember  * 6:14 Neh 13:29 Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah  * 6:14 Rv 2:20 and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.

The Wall Completed

15 The wall was completed  * 6:15 Neh 4:1,7; 6:1 in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.  * 6:15 Ezr 6:1516 When all our enemies  * 6:16 Neh 2:10; 6:1 heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated  * 6:16 Ezr 3:3 and lost their confidence,  * 6:16 Lit and fell greatly in their eyes for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.  * 6:16 Ex 14:25

17 During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,  * 6:17 Neh 6:1; 13:4–5,7–8 and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath  * 6:18 Ezr 10:5 to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam  * 6:18 Neh 3:4,30 son of Berechiah. 19 These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate  * 6:19 Neh 6:9,13 me.