Nehemiah 6
The Plots of the
Adversaries |
1 |
Now it came to pass, when Sanbal'lat, and
Tobi'ah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard
that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach
left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon
the gates;)
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2 |
that Sanbal'lat and Geshem sent unto me,
saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the
villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me
mischief.
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3 |
And I sent messengers unto them, saying,
I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why
should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to
you?
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4 |
Yet they sent unto me four times after
this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
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5 |
Then sent Sanbal'lat his servant unto me
in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his
hand;
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6 |
wherein was written, It is
reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou
and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall,
that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
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7 |
And thou hast also appointed prophets to
preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in
Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these
words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel
together.
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8 |
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are
no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of
thine own heart.
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9 |
For they all made us afraid, saying,
Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
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10 |
Afterward I came unto the house of
Shemai'ah the son of Delai'ah the son of Mehet'abeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God,
within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they
will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay
thee.
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11 |
And I said, Should such a man as I flee?
and who is there, that, being as I am, would go
into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
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12 |
And, lo, I perceived that God had not
sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for
Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat had hired him.
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13 |
Therefore was he hired, that I
should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might
have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach
me.
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14 |
My God, think thou upon Tobi'ah and
Sanbal'lat according to these their works, and on the prophetess
Noadi'ah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in
fear.
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15 |
So the wall was finished in the twenty
and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two
days.
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16 |
And it came to pass, that when all our
enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their
own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our
God.
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17 |
Moreover in those days the nobles of
Judah sent many letters unto Tobi'ah, and the letters of
Tobi'ah came unto them.
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18 |
For there were many in Judah sworn
unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechani'ah the
son of Arah; and his son Jo'hanan had taken the daughter of
Meshul'lam the son of Berechi'ah.
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19 |
Also they reported his good deeds before
me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobi'ah sent letters to
put me in fear.
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