1 Then|strong="H1961" Sanballat|strong="H5571", Tobiah|strong="H2900", Geshem|strong="H1654" the|strong="H0853" Arab, and|strong="H8085" our|strong="H1961" other enemies|strong="H0341" heard|strong="H8085" that|strong="H0834" I|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" built|strong="H1129" the|strong="H0853" wall|strong="H2346". We|strong="H3588" repaired all|strong="H5704" the|strong="H0853" holes in|strong="H8085" the|strong="H0853" wall|strong="H2346", but|strong="H3588" we|strong="H3588" had|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3808" yet|strong="H3588" put the|strong="H0853" doors|strong="H1817" in|strong="H8085" the|strong="H0853" gates|strong="H8179".
2 So|strong="H6213" Sanballat|strong="H5571" and|strong="H7971" Geshem|strong="H1654" sent|strong="H7971" me|strong="H0413" this|strong="H6213" message: “Come, Nehemiah, let’s meet|strong="H3259" together|strong="H3162". We|strong="H6213" can|strong="H6213" meet|strong="H3259" in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" town of|strong="H0559" Kephirim on|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" plain|strong="H1237" of|strong="H0559" Ono|strong="H0207".” But|strong="H1992" they|strong="H1992" were|strong="H1992" planning|strong="H2803" to|strong="H0413" hurt me|strong="H0413".
3 So|strong="H6213" I|strong="H0589" sent|strong="H7971" messengers|strong="H4397" to|strong="H0413" them|strong="H0413" with|strong="H0413" this|strong="H0834" answer|strong="H0559": “I|strong="H0589" am|strong="H0589" doing|strong="H6213" important|strong="H1419" work|strong="H4399", so|strong="H6213" I|strong="H0589" cannot|strong="H3808" come|strong="H3381" down|strong="H3381". I|strong="H0589" don’t|strong="H3808" want the|strong="H0559" work|strong="H4399" to|strong="H0413" stop|strong="H3808" just|strong="H0834" so|strong="H6213" I|strong="H0589" can|strong="H3201" come|strong="H3381" down|strong="H3381" and|strong="H7971" meet with|strong="H0413" you|strong="H0834".”
4 Sanballat and|strong="H7725" Geshem sent|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" same|strong="H2088" message|strong="H1697" to|strong="H0413" me|strong="H0413" four|strong="H0702" times|strong="H6471", and|strong="H7725" I|strong="H1697" sent|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" same|strong="H2088" answer|strong="H7725" back|strong="H7725" to|strong="H0413" them|strong="H0413" each|strong="H0702" time|strong="H6471".
5 Then|strong="H2088", the|strong="H0853" fifth|strong="H2549" time|strong="H6471", Sanballat|strong="H5571" sent|strong="H7971" his|strong="H7971" helper to|strong="H0413" me|strong="H0413" with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" same|strong="H2088" message|strong="H1697". And|strong="H3027" he|strong="H0853" had|strong="H0853" a|strong="H7971" letter|strong="H0107" in|strong="H0413" his|strong="H7971" hand|strong="H3027" that|strong="H1697" was|strong="H1697" not|strong="H2088" sealed.
6 This|strong="H3651" is|strong="H3651" what|strong="H1697" the|strong="H0559" letter said|strong="H0559":
7 And|strong="H3063" the|strong="H0559" rumor is|strong="H1571" that|strong="H8085" you|strong="H5921" have|strong="H1571" chosen prophets|strong="H5030" to|strong="H0559" announce|strong="H8085" this|strong="H0428" about|strong="H5921" you|strong="H5921" in|strong="H5921" Jerusalem|strong="H3389": ‘There|strong="H5975" is|strong="H1571" a|strong="H8085" king|strong="H4428" in|strong="H5921" Judah|strong="H3063"!’
8 So|strong="H7971" I|strong="H0834" sent|strong="H7971" this|strong="H0428" answer|strong="H1697" back|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" Sanballat: “Nothing|strong="H3808" you|strong="H0859" are|strong="H0834" saying|strong="H0559" is|strong="H0834" happening. You|strong="H0859" are|strong="H0834" just|strong="H0834" making all|strong="H1697" that|strong="H0834" up|strong="H1961" in|strong="H0413" your|strong="H0834" own|strong="H1961" head.”
9 Our|strong="H3605" enemies were|strong="H3027" only|strong="H3605" trying to|strong="H0559" make|strong="H6213" us|strong="H3588" afraid|strong="H3372". They|strong="H3588" are|strong="H3027" thinking|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" themselves, “The|strong="H3605" Jews will|strong="H3027" be|strong="H3808" afraid|strong="H3372" and|strong="H3027" too|strong="H4480" weak|strong="H3808" to|strong="H0559" keep|strong="H6213" on|strong="H3027" working. Then|strong="H6258" the|strong="H3605" wall will|strong="H3027" not|strong="H3808" be|strong="H3808" finished.”
10 One|strong="H1931" day I|strong="H0589" went|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" house|strong="H1004" of|strong="H1121" a|strong="H3588" man|strong="H1121" named Shemaiah|strong="H8098" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Delaiah|strong="H1806". Delaiah|strong="H1806" was|strong="H1931" the|strong="H0559" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Mehetabel|strong="H4105". Shemaiah|strong="H8098" had|strong="H0430" to|strong="H0413" stay in|strong="H0935" his|strong="H0935" house|strong="H1004". He|strong="H1931" said|strong="H0559", “Nehemiah, let’s meet|strong="H3259" in|strong="H0935" God’s|strong="H0430" Temple|strong="H1004". Let’s go|strong="H0935" inside|strong="H8432" the|strong="H0559" Holy Place|strong="H1004" and|strong="H1121" lock the|strong="H0559" doors|strong="H1817". Men|strong="H1121" are|strong="H1121" coming|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" kill|strong="H2026" you|strong="H3588". Tonight|strong="H3915" they|strong="H3588" are|strong="H1121" coming|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" kill|strong="H2026" you|strong="H3588".”
11 But|strong="H3808" I|strong="H0834" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Shemaiah, “Should|strong="H0376" a|strong="H0935" man|strong="H0376" like|strong="H3644" me|strong="H0413" run away|strong="H1272"? You|strong="H0834" know that|strong="H0834" an|strong="H0935" ordinary|strong="H0376" man|strong="H0376" like|strong="H3644" me|strong="H0413" cannot|strong="H3808" go|strong="H0935" into|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" Holy Place|strong="H0935" without|strong="H3808" being put|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" death. I|strong="H0834" will|strong="H4310" not|strong="H3808" go|strong="H0935"!”
12 I|strong="H3588" knew that|strong="H3588" God|strong="H0430" had|strong="H0430" not|strong="H3808" sent|strong="H7971" Shemaiah. I|strong="H3588" knew that|strong="H3588" he|strong="H3588" had|strong="H0430" prophesied|strong="H1696" against|strong="H5921" me|strong="H7971" because|strong="H3588" Tobiah|strong="H2900" and|strong="H0430" Sanballat|strong="H5571" had|strong="H0430" paid him|strong="H5921" to|strong="H1696" do that|strong="H3588".
13 They|strong="H1992" hired|strong="H7936" Shemaiah to|strong="H1961" scare me|strong="H1961" and|strong="H2398" make|strong="H6213" me|strong="H1961" sin|strong="H2398" \+w by|strong="H8034"\+w* going \+w into|strong="H1961"\+w* \+w that|strong="H1931"\+w* \+w part|strong="H1931"\+w* \+w of|strong="H8034"\+w* \+w the|strong="H1961"\+w* Temple. They|strong="H1992" were|strong="H1961" planning those|strong="H1992" bad|strong="H7451" things|strong="H1961" against|strong="H2398" me|strong="H1961" so|strong="H3651" that|strong="H1931" they|strong="H1992" could shame me|strong="H1961".
14 My|strong="H1961" God|strong="H0430", please remember|strong="H2142" Tobiah|strong="H2900" and|strong="H0430" Sanballat|strong="H5571" and|strong="H0430" the|strong="H0853" bad things|strong="H0428" they|strong="H0834" have|strong="H1961" done|strong="H1961". Also|strong="H1571" remember|strong="H2142" the|strong="H0853" woman prophet|strong="H5030" Noadiah|strong="H5129" and|strong="H0430" the|strong="H0853" other|strong="H0428" prophets|strong="H5030" who|strong="H0834" have|strong="H1961" been|strong="H1961" trying to|strong="H1961" scare me|strong="H1961".
15 So the|strong="H3117" wall|strong="H2346" of|strong="H3117" Jerusalem was|strong="H3117" completed on|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3117" 25th day|strong="H3117" of|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3117" month of|strong="H3117" Elul|strong="H0435". It|strong="H7999" had|strong="H3117" taken 52 days|strong="H3117" to|strong="H3117" finish building the|strong="H3117" wall|strong="H2346".
16 Then|strong="H1961" all|strong="H3605" our|strong="H3605" enemies|strong="H0341" heard|strong="H8085" that|strong="H0834" we|strong="H3588" had|strong="H0834" completed the|strong="H3605" wall, and|strong="H0430" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" nations|strong="H1471" around|strong="H5439" us|strong="H3045" saw|strong="H7200" that|strong="H0834" it|strong="H3588" was|strong="H1961" finished. So|strong="H6213" they|strong="H0834" lost|strong="H5307" their|strong="H3605" courage, because|strong="H3588" they|strong="H0834" understood|strong="H3045" that|strong="H0834" this|strong="H2063" work|strong="H4399" had|strong="H0834" been|strong="H1961" done|strong="H6213" with|strong="H0854" the|strong="H3605" help of|strong="H0430" our|strong="H3605" God|strong="H0430".
17 Also|strong="H1571" in|strong="H5921" those|strong="H0834" days|strong="H3117" after|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0834" wall had|strong="H0834" been|strong="H0834" completed, the|strong="H0834" rich people|strong="H0834" of|strong="H3117" Judah|strong="H3063" were|strong="H0834" sending many|strong="H7235" letters|strong="H0107" to|strong="H0413" Tobiah|strong="H2900", and|strong="H1980" he|strong="H0834" was|strong="H0834" answering their|strong="H1992" letters|strong="H0107".
18 They|strong="H3588" sent|strong="H3947" those|strong="H1121" letters because|strong="H3588" many|strong="H7227" people|strong="H1121" in|strong="H1121" Judah|strong="H3063" had|strong="H3588" promised to|strong="H1121" be|strong="H1121" loyal to|strong="H1121" him|strong="H0853". The|strong="H0853" reason for|strong="H3588" this|strong="H1931" is|strong="H1931" that|strong="H3588" Tobiah was|strong="H1931" son-in-law|strong="H2860" to|strong="H1121" Shecaniah|strong="H7935" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Arah|strong="H0733". And|strong="H1121" Tobiah’s son|strong="H1121" Jehohanan|strong="H3076" had|strong="H3588" married|strong="H3947" the|strong="H0853" daughter|strong="H1323" of|strong="H1121" Meshullam|strong="H4918". Meshullam|strong="H4918" is|strong="H1931" the|strong="H0853" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Berekiah.
19 And|strong="H7971" in|strong="H1697" the|strong="H0559" past, those|strong="H1961" people had|strong="H1961" made|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" special promise|strong="H1697" to|strong="H0559" Tobiah|strong="H2900". So|strong="H7971" they|strong="H0559" kept telling|strong="H0559" me|strong="H7971" how good|strong="H2896" Tobiah|strong="H2900" was|strong="H1961". And|strong="H7971" they|strong="H0559" kept telling|strong="H0559" Tobiah|strong="H2900" what|strong="H1697" I|strong="H1697" was|strong="H1961" doing|strong="H3318". Tobiah|strong="H2900" kept sending|strong="H7971" me|strong="H7971" letters|strong="H0107" to|strong="H0559" make me|strong="H7971" afraid|strong="H3372".