Nehemiah 6

I Am Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down

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The Summons to the Plain of Ono

6:1When Sanaballat, Tobia, Gesam the Arabi and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, no breath was left in them. Up to that time I had not set doors in the gates.

6:2Sanaballat and Gesam sent to me, saying, “Come, let us gather together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” They were planning to do me harm.

6:3I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and will not be able to come down, lest the work stop. When I finish it, I will come down to you.”

6:4They sent me this same message, and I sent them an answer accordingly.

The Open Letter of Sanaballat

6:5Sanaballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

6:6In it was written: “It has been reported among the nations that you and the Jews are planning to revolt. That is why you are building the wall, and you are becoming their king.

6:7Besides this, you have appointed prophets for yourself so that you may sit in Jerusalem as king in Judah. Now these words will be reported to the king. Come now, let us take counsel together.”

6:8I sent to him, saying, “Nothing like these words you say has happened. You are falsely devising them from your own heart.”

6:9For they are all frightening us, saying, “Their hands will grow slack from this work, and it will not be done.” Now I strengthened my hands.

The Hired Prophecy of Semei

6:10I entered the house of Semei son of Dalaia son of Meetabel, who was confined. He said, “Let us gather in the house of God, inside it, and shut its doors, for they are coming at night to murder you.”

6:11I said, “Who is the man who could enter the house and live?”

6:12I recognized that God had not sent him, because the prophecy was a word against me, and Tobias and Sanaballat had hired

6:13a crowd against me, so that I might be afraid, act in that way and sin, and become a bad name for them to reproach me.

6:14Remember, God, Tobia and Sanaballat according to these deeds of his, and Noadia the prophet and the rest of the prophets who were frightening me.

The Wall Completed in Fifty-Two Days

6:15The wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Eloul, in fifty-two days.

6:16When all our enemies heard, all the nations around us became afraid. Great fear fell upon them before their eyes, and they knew that it was by our God that this work had been brought to completion.

The Letters of Tobia

6:17In those days letters from many honored men of Judah went to Tobia, and Tobia’s letters came to them,

6:18because many in Judah were bound to him by oath, since he was the son-in-law of Sechenia son of Erae, and his son Ioanan had taken the daughter of Mesoulam son of Barachia as wife.

6:19They also told me his words and carried my words out to him, and Tobias sent letters to frighten me.

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.