| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it--though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates-- | 1When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had completed the wall and that no break remained in it (even though by that time I hadn't yet installed the doors in the gates), |
| 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: "Come, let's meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley." But they were planning to harm me. | 2Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me, saying "Come, let's meet together at Kephirim on the Ono Plain." But they were just trying to do me harm. |
| 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" | 3So I sent messengers to them, replying "I am involved in a great endeavor, so I can't leave. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?" |
| 4Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply. | 4They sent me this message four times, and I answered them the same way. |
| 5Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. | 5Then Sanballat sent his assistant to me the fifth time. But this time the letter was sent unsealed, and |
| 6In it was written: It is reported among the nations--and Geshem agrees--that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king | 6in it was written: It is reported among the nations—and Gashmu confirms this—that you and the Jews are planning a revolt, and that you're rebuilding the wall in order to declare yourself king. According to these reports, |
| 7and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: "There is a king in Judah." These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let's confer together. | 7you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, "There is a king in Judah!" Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let's meet together. |
| 8Then I replied to him, "There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind." | 8I sent word back to him, "Nothing has happened as you've claimed. You're making up these charges in your imagination." |
| 9For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, "They will become discouraged in the work, and it will never be finished." But now, my God, strengthen me. | 9For they all were trying to make us afraid by saying, "Their hands will become tired from laboring, so the work won't be completed." "Therefore, LORD, strengthen my hands!" |
| 10I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted 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. They are coming to kill you tonight! | 10Later I visited Delaiah's son Shemaiah, a grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined at home. He kept urging me, "Let's meet together at the house of God, within the Temple, and take refuge there, because they're coming to kill you. In fact, they're coming at night to kill you!" |
| 11But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can I enter the temple and live? I will not go." | 11But I asked him, "Should a man like me run? Should someone like me run into the Temple to save his life? I won't go there!" |
| 12I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. | 12I perceived that God had not sent him. Instead, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to pronounce this prophecy against me. |
| 13He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me. | 13He had been hired to make me afraid so I would sin by doing what he suggested. Then they could create a slanderous report to use against me. |
| 14My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me. | 14"Remember me, my God, and take note of what Tobiah and Sanballat are doing. Also take note of the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who intend to make me afraid." |
| 15The wall was completed in 52 days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. | 15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul in 52 days. |
| 16When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God. | 16When all of our enemies—including the surrounding nations—heard this, they became very discouraged, since they saw that the work had been done by our God. |
| 17During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. | 17Meanwhile, at that time the nobles of Judah continued to send many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah kept sending letters to them. |
| 18For 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. | 18For many Judeans had sworn allegiance to him, since he was son-in-law to Arah's son Shecaniah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Berechiah's son Meshullam. |
| 19These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah's good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. | 19Furthermore, they kept reporting Tobiah's good deeds to me, and kept repeating what I told him. Tobiah kept sending letters to intimidate me. |
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