| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up 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 that no gap was left in it--though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates-- |
| 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. | 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. |
| 3And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” | 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?" |
| 4And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. | 4Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply. |
| 5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. | 5Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. |
| 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. | 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 |
| 7And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” | 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. |
| 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” | 8Then I replied to him, "There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind." |
| 9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. | 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. |
| 10Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” | 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! |
| 11But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” | 11But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can I enter the temple and live? I will not go." |
| 12And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. | 12I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. |
| 13For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt 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. |
| 14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. | 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. |
| 15So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. | 15The wall was completed in 52 days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. |
| 16And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. | 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. |
| 17Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. | 17During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. |
| 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. | 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 spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. | 19These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah's good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. |
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