Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
wherein was written, It is reported among the nations, and {In er. 1 and elsewhere Geshem.}Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou art building the wall: and thou wouldest be their king, according to these words.
And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, {Or, I will strengthen my hands}O God, strengthen thou my hands.
And I went unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, {Or, could go into the temple and live}would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
For this cause was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us {According to another reading, saw.}feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
For there were many in Judah sworn unto 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 to wife.
Also they spake of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
Querverweise zu Nehemia 6,14 Neh 6,14
Remember unto me, O my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach upon their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;
And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so.
Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee.
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee?
For the Chief Musician; set to {That is, The hind of the morning.}Aijeleth hash-Shahar. A Psalm of David.My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? {Or, Far from my help are the words of my groaning Hebrew: roaring.}Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee; for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
Therefore Jehovah {Or, hath cut}will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee:My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee,In a dry and weary land, where no water is.
Remember them, O my God, {Hebrew: for the defilings of &c.}because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Let not the foot of pride come against me,And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
There are the workers of iniquity fallen:They are thrust down, and shall not be able to rise.
If I go forth into the field, then, behold, the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then, behold, {Hebrew: the sickness of famine.}they that are sick with famine! for both the prophet and the priest {Or, traffic}go about {Or, into a land that they know not}in the land, and have no knowledge.
The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;They have spread a net by the wayside;They have set gins for me. [Selah
I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God:Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation,Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked;Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. [Selah
As for the head of those that compass me about,Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
Let burning coals fall upon them:Let them be cast into the fire,Into {Or, floods}deep pits, whence they shall not rise.
{Hebrew: A man to tongue.}An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth:Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of Jehovah, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
But, O Jehovah of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the {Hebrew: reins.}heart and the mind, I shall see thy vengeance on them; for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Thou shalt not prophesy in the name of Jehovah, that thou die not by our hand;
therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will {Hebrew: visit upon.}punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine;
and there shall be no remnant unto them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, {Or, in the year}even the year of their visitation.
Then Hananiah the prophet took the bar from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and brake it.
Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
Yet, Jehovah, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight; but let them be {Hebrew: made to stumble.}overthrown before thee; deal thou with them in the time of thine anger.
Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah: Jehovah hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
Alexander the coppersmith {Greek: showed.}did me much evil: the Lord will render to him according to his works:
to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah.
of whom do thou also beware; for he greatly withstood our words.
And thou, son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, {Or, he shall ask and shall give him life, even to them &c.}he shall ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is {Or, sin}a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone: