Nehemia 6
BasisBijbel
Opnieuw tegenwerking
6 Sanballat, Tobia, de Arabier Gesem en de rest van onze vijanden hoorden dat ik de muur had herbouwd. Er waren nergens meer gaten (Maar ik had nog geen deuren in de poorten kunnen zetten). 2 Toen stuurden ze mij de boodschap: "We nodigen u uit voor een bijeenkomst in één van de dorpen in het Ono-dal." Maar ze waren van plan mij te vermoorden. 3 Daarom stuurde ik boodschappers naar hen toe met het volgende antwoord: "Ik heb heel veel werk te doen. Ik kan niet komen. Want als ik naar u toe kom, blijft het werk hier stilliggen." 4 Ze stuurden me wel vier keer zo'n boodschap. Elke keer gaf ik hun hetzelfde antwoord.
5 Toen stuurde Sanballat voor de vijfde keer zijn dienaar naar mij toe. Hij had een open brief bij zich. 6 Daarin stond: "Er wordt door de mensen gezegd, ook door Gesem, dat u van plan bent om met de Judeeërs in opstand te komen. Daarom zijn jullie de muur aan het herbouwen. En er wordt ook gezegd dat u van plan bent om hun koning te worden. 7 U heeft zelfs al profeten aangewezen die in Jeruzalem moeten rondzeggen dat er een nieuwe koning is in Juda! Reken er maar op dat de koning dit zal horen. Laten we daarom overleggen wat er moet gebeuren." 8 Maar ik stuurde hem het volgende antwoord: "Er is niets waar van wat u vertelt. U heeft het allemaal verzonnen." 9 Zo probeerden ze ons bang te maken, zodat we niet verder zouden durven bouwen. Ze hoopten dat het werk dan niet af zou komen.
– Heer, help mij om door te gaan!
10 Semaja de zoon van Delaja, die een zoon was van Mehetabeël, was niet op het werk gekomen. Hij had zich in zijn huis opgesloten. Toen ik hem thuis opzocht, zei hij: "Laten we samen de heilige kamer van de tempel in vluchten en de deuren dichtdoen. Want ze willen op een nacht komen om je te doden!" 11 Maar ik zei: "Zou iemand als ik vluchten? En hoe zou ik de tempel binnen kunnen gaan en in leven blijven?[a] Ik ga niet!" 12 Want ik merkte duidelijk dat God hem dit niet gezegd had. Tobia en Sanballat hadden hem omgekocht om mij bang te maken. Daarom zei hij dit. 13 Ze hoopten dat ik Semaja zou geloven en iets zou doen wat God verboden had. Dan zouden ze mij ergens van kunnen beschuldigen en zouden de mensen slecht van mij gaan denken.
14 – Mijn God, vergeet niet wat Tobia en Sanballat allemaal hebben gedaan. Ook niet wat de profetes Noadja en de andere profeten hebben gedaan om mij bang te maken.
15 Op de 25e dag van de maand Elul was de muur af. We hadden er 52 dagen aan gewerkt. 16 Ook onze vijanden hoorden dat de muur af was. Toen werden ze bang voor ons. Ze waren onder de indruk, want ze begrepen dat onze God ons had geholpen om dit grote werk te doen. 17 In die tijd schreven de belangrijke mensen veel brieven aan Tobia, en Tobia schreef weer aan hen. 18 Want een groot aantal belangrijke mensen in Juda had trouw gezworen aan Tobia, omdat hij getrouwd was met een dochter van Zechanja, de zoon van Ara en omdat zijn zoon Johanan getrouwd was met de dochter van Mesullam, de zoon van Berechja. 19 Ze vertelden mij allerlei goede dingen over Tobia en vertelden Tobia alles wat ik zei. Tobia stuurde mij brieven waarin hij probeerde mij bang te maken.
Footnotes
- Nehemia 6:11 Daar mocht niet zomaar iedereen binnengaan. Alleen de priesters mochten daar komen. Ieder ander zou door God gedood worden. Lees Numeri 18:22.
Nehemiah 6
New King James Version
Conspiracy Against Nehemiah
6 Now it happened (A)when Sanballat, Tobiah, [a]Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (B)(though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and [b]Geshem (C)sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together [c]among the villages in the plain of (D)Ono.” But they (E)thought 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 go down to you?”
4 But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written:
It is reported among the nations, and [d]Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, (F)that you may be their king. 7 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.
8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.”
9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”
Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the [e]temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”
11 And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” 12 Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that (G)he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 (H)My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the (I)prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.
The Wall Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it happened, (J)when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for (K)they perceived that this work was done by our God.
17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. 18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the (L)son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of (M)Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my [f]words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 6:1 Or Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:2 Or Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim, exact location unknown
- Nehemiah 6:6 Heb. Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:10 Lit. house
- Nehemiah 6:19 Or affairs
Nehemiah 6
English Standard Version
Conspiracy Against Nehemiah
6 Now when (A)Sanballat and Tobiah and (B)Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it ((C)although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of (D)Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem[a] also says it, that you and (E)the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God,[b] strengthen my hands.
10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was (F)confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?[c] I will not go in.” 12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, (G)but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. 14 (H)Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also (I)the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
The Wall Is Finished
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And (J)when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, (K)for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of (L)Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of (M)Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu
- Nehemiah 6:9 Hebrew lacks O God
- Nehemiah 6:11 Or would go into the temple to save his life
Nehemiah 6
International Standard Version
A Diversion is Attempted
6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had completed the wall and that no break remained in it (even though by that time I hadn’t yet installed the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word[a] to me, saying “Come, let’s meet together at Kephirim on the Ono Plain.” But they were just trying to do me harm.
3 So I sent messengers to them, replying “I am involved in a great endeavor, so I can’t leave. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?” 4 They sent me this message four times, and I answered them the same way.
5 Then Sanballat sent his assistant to me the fifth time. But this time the letter was sent[b] unsealed, and 6 in it was written:
It is reported among the nations—and Gashmu confirms this—that you and the Jews are planning a revolt, and that you’re rebuilding the wall in order to declare yourself king. According to these reports, 7 you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, “There is a king in Judah!” Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let’s meet together.
8 I sent word back[c] to him, “Nothing has happened as you’ve claimed. You’re making up these charges[d] in your imagination.”[e] 9 For they all were trying to make us afraid by saying, “Their hands will become tired from laboring, so the work won’t be completed.”
“Therefore, Lord,[f] strengthen my hands!”
A Conspiracy Charge Emerges
10 Later I visited Delaiah’s son Shemaiah, a grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined at home. He kept urging me, “Let’s meet together at the house of God, within the Temple, and take refuge there,[g] because they’re coming to kill you. In fact, they’re coming at night to kill you!”
11 But I asked him, “Should a man like me run? Should someone like me run into the Temple to save his life? I won’t go there!” 12 I perceived that God had not sent him. Instead, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to pronounce this prophecy against me. 13 He had been hired to make me afraid so I would sin by doing what he suggested.[h] Then they could create a slanderous report to use against me.
14 “Remember me, my God, and take note of what Tobiah and Sanballat are doing. Also take note of the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who intend to make me afraid.”
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul in 52 days.
Tobiah’s Continued Harassment
16 When all of our enemies—including the surrounding nations—heard this, they became very discouraged, since they saw that the work had been done by our God. 17 Meanwhile, at that time the nobles of Judah continued to send many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah kept sending letters[i] to them. 18 For many Judeans had sworn allegiance to him, since he was son-in-law to Arah’s son Shecaniah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Berechiah’s son Meshullam. 19 Furthermore, they kept reporting Tobiah’s[j] good deeds to me, and kept repeating what I told him. Tobiah kept sending letters to intimidate me.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 6:2 The Heb. lacks word
- Nehemiah 6:5 The Heb. lacks sent
- Nehemiah 6:8 The Heb. lacks word back
- Nehemiah 6:8 The Heb. lacks charges
- Nehemiah 6:8 Lit. heart
- Nehemiah 6:9 The Heb. lacks Lord
- Nehemiah 6:10 Lit. and shut the doors of the temple
- Nehemiah 6:13 Lit. doing this
- Nehemiah 6:17 The Heb. lacks letters
- Nehemiah 6:19 Lit. his
© stichting BasisBijbel 2013 Gecorrigeerde tekst © 2015 Alle rechten voorbehouden Uitgegeven bij de ZakBijbelBond: 2016
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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