Nehemiah 6
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Intrigues of Enemies Foiled
6 Now when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no gap left in it (though up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),(A) 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages[a] in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.(B) 3 So 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 to come down to you?” 4 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[b] also says it—that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and according to this report you wish to become their king.(C) 7 You have also set up prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So come, therefore, and let us confer together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done; 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, strengthen my hands.
10 One day when I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, tonight they are coming to kill you.”(D) 11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” 12 Then I perceived and saw that God had not sent him at all, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.(E) 13 He was hired for this purpose, to intimidate me and make me sin by acting in this way, and so they could give me a bad name, in order to taunt me.(F) 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.(G)
The Wall Completed
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid[c] and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.(H) 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 son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Nehemiah 6
New English Translation
Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues
6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, “Come on! Let’s set up a time to meet together at Kephirim[a] in the plain of Ono.” Now they intended to do me harm.
3 So I sent messengers to them saying, “I am engaged in[b] an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?” 4 They contacted[c] me four times in this way, and I responded the same way each time.[d]
5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, he had an open letter in his hand. 6 Written in it were the following words:
“Among the nations it is rumored[e] (and Geshem[f] has substantiated[g] this) that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors[h] you are going to become their king. 7 You have also established prophets to announce[i] in Jerusalem on your behalf, ‘We have a king in Judah!’ Now the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on, let’s talk about this.”[j]
8 I sent word back to him, “We are not engaged in these activities you are describing.[k] All of this is a figment of your imagination.”[l]
9 All of them were wanting[m] to scare us, supposing, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it won’t get done.”
So now, strengthen my hands![n]
10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel. He was confined to his home.[o] He said, “Let’s set up a time to meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night that they will come to kill you.”
11 But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Would someone like me flee to the temple in order to save his life?[p] I will not go!” 12 I recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat.[q] 13 He had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They would thus bring reproach on me and I[r] would be discredited.[s]
14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions of theirs—also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who have been trying to scare me!
The Rebuilding of the Wall Is Finally Completed
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul,[t] in just fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who were around us saw[u] this, they were greatly disheartened.[v] They knew that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
17 In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them. 18 For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him,[w] because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 They were telling me about his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said.[x] Tobiah, on the other hand, sent letters in order to scare[y] me.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 6:2 tn It is not entirely clear whether the Hebrew word כְּפִירִים (kefirim) is a place-name not mentioned elsewhere in the OT (as indicated in the present translation; so also NAB, NASB) or whether it means “in [one of] the villages” (so, e.g., NIV, NRSV, NLT; see BDB 499 s.v.; HALOT 493 s.v.). The LXX and Vulgate understand it in the latter sense. Some scholars connect this term with the identically spelled word כפירים (“lions”) as a figurative description of princes or warriors (e.g., Pss 34:11; 35:17; 58:7; Jer 2:15; Ezek 32:2, 13; Nah 2:14 HT [2:13 ET]; see HALOT 493 s.v. כְּפִיר): “let us meet together with the leaders in the plain of Ono.”
- Nehemiah 6:3 tn Heb “[am] doing.”
- Nehemiah 6:4 tn Heb “sent to.”
- Nehemiah 6:4 tn Heb “and I answered them according to this word.”
- Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “heard.”
- Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “Gashmu”; in Neh 2:19 this name appears as Geshem. Since it is important for the modern reader to recognize that this is the same individual, the form of the name used here in the translation is the same as that in v. 19.
- Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “is saying.”
- Nehemiah 6:6 tn Heb “words.” So also in v. 7.
- Nehemiah 6:7 tn Heb “call.”
- Nehemiah 6:7 tn Heb “Let us consult together.”
- Nehemiah 6:8 tn Heb “We are not according to these matters that you are saying.”
- Nehemiah 6:8 tn Heb “For from your heart you are inventing them.”
- Nehemiah 6:9 tn The participle has a desiderative nuance here, describing the desire of the subject and not necessarily the actual outcome. See also v. 14.
- Nehemiah 6:9 tn The statement “So now, strengthen my hands” is frequently understood as an implied prayer, but is taken differently by NAB (“But instead, I now redoubled my efforts”).
- Nehemiah 6:10 tn Heb “shut in.” The reason for his confinement is not stated. BDB 783 s.v. עָצַר suggests that it had to do with the fulfillment of a vow or was related to an issue of ceremonial uncleanness.
- Nehemiah 6:11 tn Heb “go into the temple and live.”
- Nehemiah 6:12 tn Heb “and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.”
- Nehemiah 6:13 tc The translation reads לִי (li, “to me”) rather than the MT reading לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”).
- Nehemiah 6:13 tn Heb “would have a bad name.”
- Nehemiah 6:15 sn Elul was the sixth month, or August-September by modern reckoning.
- Nehemiah 6:16 tc The MT understands the root here to be יָרֵא (yareʾ, “to fear”) rather than רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”).
- Nehemiah 6:16 tn Heb “they greatly fell [i.e., were cast down] in their own eyes.” Some scholars suggest emending the reading of the MT, וַיִּפְּלוּ (vayyipelu) to וַיִּפָּלֵא (vayyippaleʾ, “it was very extraordinary in their eyes”).
- Nehemiah 6:18 tn Heb “were lords of oath.”
- Nehemiah 6:19 tn Heb “my words.”
- Nehemiah 6:19 tn Or “to intimidate” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT).
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