Nehemiah 6:1-9
New American Standard Bible
The Enemy’s Plot
6 Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach was left in it, (A)although at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates, 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let’s meet together [a]at Chephirim in the plain of (B)Ono.” But they were plotting to [b]harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 Then they sent messages to me four times worded in this way, and I answered them with the same wording. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written: “It is reported among the nations, and [c]Gashmu says, that (C)you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. 7 You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning [d]you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let’s consult together.” 8 Then I sent a message to him saying, “Nothing like these things that you are saying has been done, but you are (D)inventing them [e]in your own mind.” 9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, [f]thinking, “[g]They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, (E)God, strengthen my hands.
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- Nehemiah 6:2 LXX in the villages in
- Nehemiah 6:2 Lit do evil to me
- Nehemiah 6:6 In v 1 and elsewhere, Geshem
- Nehemiah 6:7 Lit you, saying
- Nehemiah 6:8 Lit from your heart
- Nehemiah 6:9 Lit saying,
- Nehemiah 6:9 Lit Their hands will go slack from
Nehemiah 6:1-9
American Standard Version
6 Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 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? 4 And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, 6 wherein was written, It is reported among the nations, and [a]Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou art building the wall: and thou wouldest be their king, according to these words. 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. 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. 9 For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, [b]O God, strengthen thou my hands.
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- Nehemiah 6:6 In verse 1, and elsewhere Geshem.
- Nehemiah 6:9 Or, I will strengthen my hands
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