Nehemiah 6

Enemies Try to Lure Nehemiah Away

1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and there were no gaps left, though I had not set up the doors in the gates yet.

2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to hurt me.

3 So I sent messengers back saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop just so I can leave it and come meet you all?”

4 They sent me the same message four times, and each time I gave the same reply.

False Accusations and Intimidation

5 Then the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant with an open letter in his hand.

6 The letter said: “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and that is why you are rebuilding the wall. According to the rumors, you are trying to become their king.”

7 “You have even set up prophets to proclaim this about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king. So come, let us talk it over.”

8 I sent back this reply: “None of what you are saying is true. You are making all this up in your head.”

9 They were just trying to scare us, thinking, “Their hands will get weak and the work will not get done.” But I kept praying, “God, strengthen my hands.”

A Setup Inside the City

10 Later, I went to Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who had shut himself in at home. He said, “Let us meet in God’s house, inside the temple, and shut the doors. They are coming to kill you, tonight!”

11 But I said, “Should someone like me run away, And should someone like me go into the temple just to save his life, I am not going.”

12 Then I realized God had not sent him. He was prophesying against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 He was hired to intimidate me so I would sin by acting afraid, then they could use it to discredit me.

14 I prayed, “My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.”

The Wall Is Finished

15 The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in just fifty-two days.

16 When all our enemies heard about it and the nations around us saw it, they lost their confidence. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.

Ongoing Political Pressure

17 Also, during those days, the nobles of Judah kept sending letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah kept replying.

18 Many in Judah were loyal 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 They kept talking up all the good things Tobiah had done in front of me and telling him everything I said. And Tobiah kept sending letters to intimidate me.