Common English Bible CEB
New King James Version NKJV
1 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no gaps left in it (although I hadn't yet hung the doors in the gates),
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Now 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),
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let's meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono." But they wanted to harm me,
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that 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.
3 so I sent messengers to tell them, "I'm doing important work, so I can't come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?"
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So 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?"
4 They sent me a message like this four times, and every time I gave them a similar reply.
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But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5 But the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way, except that now he carried an open letter.
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Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.
6 It stated: It is reported among the nations and confirmed by Geshem that you and the Jews intend to rebel. This is why you are rebuilding the wall. According to these reports, you intend to become their king.
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In 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.
7 You have also appointed prophets to make this announcement about you in Jerusalem: There is a king in Judah! Now, the king will hear of these reports, so come; let's talk together.
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And 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.
8 So I sent him this reply: "Nothing that you say has happened. You are simply inventing this."
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Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart."
9 All of them were trying to make us afraid, saying, "They will be discouraged, and the work won't get finished." But now, God, strengthen me!
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For 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.
10 Later I went to see Shemaiah, Delaiah's son and Mehetabel's grandson, who was confined to his house, and he said: "Let's meet together in God's house, inside the temple itself. Let's shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; they are coming to kill you tonight!"
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Afterward 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."
11 But I replied, "Should someone like me run away? Who like me would go into the temple to save his life? I won't go in!"
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And 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!"
12 Then I realized that God hadn't sent him at all but that he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
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Then 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.
13 He was hired to frighten me and to make me sin by acting in this way. Then they could give me a bad name and discredit me.
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For 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.
14 My God, remember these deeds of Tobiah and Sanballat! Also remember Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to frighten me.
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My 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.
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took fifty-two days.
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So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 When our enemies heard about this, all of the nations around us were afraid and their confidence was greatly shaken. They knew that this work was completed with the help of our God.
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And 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.
17 In addition, in those days the officials of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters were coming to them.
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Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18 Many in Judah were bound to him by solemn pledge because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, Arah's son, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam, Berechiah's son.
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For 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.
19 They also kept talking about his good deeds in my presence and then reported back to him what I said. In addition, Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
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Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.