| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), | 1When 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— |
| 2that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. | 2Sanballat 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. |
| 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” | 3So 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?” |
| 4But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner. | 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. |
| 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand. | 5The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter |
| 6In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king. | 6that 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, |
| 7And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together. | 7and 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.” |
| 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.” | 8Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” |
| 9For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. | 9For 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. |
| 10Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” | 10Later, 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!” |
| 11And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” | 11But 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!” |
| 12Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. | 12I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. |
| 13For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. | 13He 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. |
| 14My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. | 14O 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. |
| 15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. | 15So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul. |
| 16And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. | 16When 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. |
| 17Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. | 17Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them. |
| 18For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. | 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. |
| 19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. | 19Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. |
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