Sanballat’s Conspiracy 1 Brenton Now it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and Gesam the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no opening left therein; (but hitherto I had not set up the doors on the gates;) BSB BSB: When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates—
2 Brenton that Sanaballat and Gesam sent to me, saying, Come and let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they were plotting to do me mischief. BSB BSB: Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me.
3 Brenton So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I shall not be able to come down, lest the work should cease: as soon as I shall have finished it, I will come down to you. BSB BSB: So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”
4 Brenton And they sent to me again to this effect; and I sent them word accordingly. BSB BSB: Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5 Brenton Then Sanaballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. BSB BSB: The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter
6 Brenton And in it was written, It has been reported among the Gentiles that thou and the Jews are planning to revolt: therefore thou art building the wall, and thou wilt be a king to them. BSB BSB: that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king,
7 Brenton And moreover thou has appointed prophets to thyself, that thou mightest dwell in Jerusalem as a king over Juda: and now these words will be reported to the king. Now then, come, let us take counsel together. BSB BSB: and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.”
8 Brenton And I sent to him, saying, It has not happened according to these words, even as thou sayest, for thou framest them falsely out of thy heart. BSB BSB: Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”
9 Brenton For all were trying to alarm us, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from this work, and it shall not be done. Now therefore I have strengthened my hands. BSB BSB: For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
10 Brenton And I came into the house of Semei the son of Dalaia the Son of Metabeel, and he was shut up; and he said, Let us assemble together in the house of God, in the midst of it, and let us shut the doors of it; for they are coming by night to slay thee. BSB BSB: Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!”
11 Brenton And I said, Who is the man that shall enter into the house, that he may live? BSB BSB: But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”
12 Brenton And I observed, and, behold, God had not sent him, for the prophecy was a fable devised against me: BSB BSB: I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Brenton and Tobias and Sanaballat had hired against me a multitude, that I might be frightened, and do this, and sin, and become to them an ill name, that they might reproach me. BSB BSB: He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.
14 Brenton Remember, O God, Tobias and Sanaballat, according to these their deeds, and the prophetess Noadia, and the rest of the prophets who tried to alarm me. BSB BSB: O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.
Completion of the Wall 15 Brenton So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. BSB BSB: So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
16 Brenton And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard of it , that all the nations round about us feared, and great alarm fell upon them, and they knew that it was of our God that this work should be finished. BSB BSB: When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
17 Brenton And in those days letters came to Tobias from many nobles of Juda, and those of Tobias came to them. BSB BSB: Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them.
18 Brenton For many in Juda were bound to him by oath, because he was son-in-law of Sechenias the son of Herae; and Jonan his son had taken the daughter of Mesulam the son of Barachia to wife. BSB BSB: For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
19 Brenton And they reported his words to me, and carried out my words to him: and Tobias sent letters to terrify me. BSB BSB: Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.