Nehemiah 6:1-14

Conspiracy Against Nehemiah

1Now when aSanballat and Tobiah and bGeshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it ( calthough up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of dOno.” But they intended to do me harm. 3And 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?” 4And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. 5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem
Hebrew Gashmu
also says it, that you and fthe Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king.
7And 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.” 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God,
Hebrew lacks  O God
strengthen my hands.

10Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was hconfined 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.” 11But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live?
Or would go into the temple to save his life
I will not go in.”
12And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, jbut he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13For 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 kRemember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also lthe prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

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