THE BOOK OF
NEHEMIAH
Nehemiah 6 ©
The enemies, hearing that the work was almost finished, seek unto Nehemiah many times for a deceitful conference with him outside the city in order to get him into their hands, v. 1, etc. And when he wisely gives them a flat denial, they seek to frighten him off from the work by feigned lies, and false reports of his rebellion against the king, but all in vain, 5. He is also tempted within by hired and false prophets, yet he remains undaunted, 10. The treacherous association of some great ones with the enemy, 17.
NOW it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of 1our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had 2not set up the doors upon the gates;)
That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the 3villages in the plain of 4Ono. But they thought to do me 5mischief.
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?
Yet they sent unto me four times 6after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and 7Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, 8according to these words.
And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, 9There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king 10according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us 11take counsel together.
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
For they all 12made us afraid, 13saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, 14strengthen my hands.
15Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of 16Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was 17shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, 18within 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.
And I said, Should such a man 19as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to 20save his life? I will not go in.
And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy 21against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and 22sin, and that they might have matter 23for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these 24their works, and on the 25prophetess Noadiah, and 26the rest of the prophets, that would have 27put me in fear.
¶So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month 28Elul, 29in fifty and two days.
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 30cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
¶Moreover in those days the 31nobles of Judah 32sent many letters unto Tobiah, and 33the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
For there were many in Judah 34sworn unto him, because he was the 35son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
Also they 36reported his 37good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And 38Tobiah sent letters to put me in 39fear.