Sanballat’s Conspiracy 1 ULT And it happened, when it was heard by Sanballat and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall and a break was not remaining in it(although until that time I had not set up the doors in 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 ULT that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying,“Come, and let us appoint a time to meet together among the villages in the valley of Ono.” And they were thinking to do evil to me. 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 ULT And I sent messengers to them, saying,“I am doing a great work, and I am not able to go down. Why should the work stop while I abandon it and go 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 ULT And they sent to me according to this word four times, and I turned them back according to this word. BSB BSB: Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5 ULT Then Sanballat sent his young man to me a fifth time according to this word, and an opened letter was 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 ULT In it was written,“It is heard among the nations, and Gashmu is saying, that you and the Jews are thinking to rebel, therefore you are building the wall. And you are becoming a king over them, according to these words. 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 ULT And also, you have set up prophets to call out concerning you in Jerusalem, saying,‘A king is in Judah!’ And now, it will be heard by the king according to these words. So now, come, and let us consult 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 ULT And I sent to him, saying,“No such thing has been done according to these words that you are saying, but you are inventing them out of your own 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 ULT For all of them were frightening us, saying,“Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” So now, strengthen 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 ULT Now as for me, I entered the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, and he was confined. And he said,“Let us appoint a time to meet in the house of God, in the midst of the temple. And let us shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. Yes, at night they are coming to kill you.” 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 ULT And I said,“Should a man such as I run away? And who, such as I, is it that could go in to the temple and live? I will not go in!” 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 ULT And I recognized, and behold, God had not sent him. But he spoke the prophecy against me, for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 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 ULT For this purpose he was hired, so that I would be afraid, and I would do thus and sin. And it might become an evil name to them, so that they could 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 ULT My God, remember Tobiah, and Sanballat according to these deeds of his, and also Noadiah the prophetess, and the rest of the prophets who are frightening 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 ULT And the wall was finished on 25 of Elul, on day 52. BSB BSB: So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
16 ULT And it happened that, when all our enemies heard, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they fell extremely in their eyes. And they knew that this work was done by our God. 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 ULT Also, in those days, the nobles of Judah were multiplying their letters going to Tobiah, and those belonging to Tobiah were coming 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 ULT For many in Judah were masters of oath to him, because he was the son- in- law of Shecaniah the son of Arah. And Jehohanan his son had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 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 ULT Also, they were saying his good deeds before my face, and they were taking out my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten 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.