rd

Nehemiah 6

8 Nehemiáh anſwereth with great wiſdome, and zeale to his aduerſarie. 11 He is not diſcouraged by the falſe Prophetes.
1.ANd when Sanballát, and Tobiáh, & Geſhem the Arabian, and the reſt of our enemies heard that I had buylt ý wall, & that there were no mo breaches therein (thogh at that time I had not ſet vp the dores vpon the gates)
2.Thẽ ſent Sanballat and Géſhé vnto me, ſaying, Come thou that we may mete together in the villages in the plaine of Onó: and they thoght to do me euil.
3.Therefore I ſent meſſengers vnto them, ſaying, I haue a great worke to do, & I can not come downe: why ſhulde the worke ceaſe, whiles I leaue it, and come downe to you?
4.Yet they ſent vnto me foure times after this ſorte And I anſwered them after the ſame maner.
5.Then ſent Sanballát his ſeruant after this ſorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand,
6.Wherein was writẽ, It is reported amõg the heathen, and Gaſhmú hathe ſaid it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebell, for the which cauſe thou byldeſt the wall and thou wilt be their King according to theſe wordes.
7.Thou haſt alſo ordeined the Prophetes to preache of thee at Ieruſalém, ſayĩg, There is a King in Iudáh: and now according to theſe wordes it ſhal come to the Kings eares: come now therefore, and let vs take counſel together.
8.Thẽ I ſent vnto him, ſaying, It is not done according to theſe wordes ý thou ſayeſt. for thou faineſt them of thine owne heart.
9.For all they aſraied vs, ſaying, Their hãds ſhal be weakened frõ ý worke, & it ſhal not be done now therefore incourage ý me.
10.¶ And I came to the houſe of Shemaiáh ý ſonne of Delaiáh the ſonne of Mehetabeél, & he was ſhut vp, & he ſaid, Let vs come together into ye houſe of God in the middes of the Tẽple, and ſhut the dores of the Temple: for they wil come to ſlay thee: yea, in ye night wil they come to kil thee.
11.Then I ſaid, Shulde ſuche a man as I, flee? Who is he, being as I am, that wolde go into the Temple to liue? I wil not go in.
12.And lo, I perceiued, that God had not ſent him, but that he pronouced this prophecie againſt me: for Tobiáh and Sanballát had hyred him.
13.Therfore was he hyred, that I might be afrayed, and do thus, and ſinne, and that they might haue an euil reporte that they might reproche me.
14.My God, remẽmber thou Tobiáh, and Sanballát according vnto theſe their workes, and Noadiáh the Propheteſſe alſo, and the reſt of the Prophetes that wolde haue put me in feare.
15.¶ Notwithſtanding the wall was finiſhed on the fiue & twẽtieth day of Elúl, in two and fiftie dayes.
16.And whẽ all our enemies heard thereof, euen all the heathen yt were about vs, thei were afrayed, & their courage failed thẽ: for they knewe, yt this worke was wroght by our God.
17.And in theſe dayes were there manie of the princes of Iudáh, whoſe letters wẽt vnto Tobiáh, and thoſe of Tobiáh came vnto them.
18.For there were manie in Iudáh, that were ſworne vnto him. for he was the ſonne in law of Shechaniáh, the ſonne of Aráh: & his ſonne Iehonathán had the daughter of Meſhullám, the ſonne of Berechiáh.
19.Yea, they ſpake in his praiſe before me, & tolde him my wordes, & Tobiáh ſent letters to put me in feare.

Notes

1:a.
That is, that they were ioyned together, as Chap 4.6.
3:b.
Meaning, ý if he ſhulde obei their requeſt the worke, which God had appointed, ſhulde ceaſe. ſhewing hereby that we ſhulde not cõmit our ſelues to the hãds of the wicked
6:".
Or, Geſhem
6:c.
As the fame goeth
7:d.
Thou haſt bribed, and ſet vp falſe Prophetes, to make thy ſelfe King and to defraude the King of Perſia of that ſubiection, which you ogh vnto him
8:".
Or fainedſt them of thine owne head.
10:e.
As thogh he wolde be ſecrete to the intent that he might pray vnto God with greater libertie, and receiue ſome reuelacion, which in him was but hypocriſie.
11:f.
He douted not but God was able to preſerue him, & knewe that, if he had obeyed this counſel, he ſhuld haue diſcouraged all the people: thus God giueth power to his, to reſist falſe prophecies, thogh they ſeme to haue neuer ſo great probabilitie.
14:g.
Very grief cauſed him to pray againſt ſuche, which vnder the pretence of being the miniſters of God, were aduerſaries to his glorie, and went about to ouerthrow his Church, declaring alſo hereby that where there is one true miniſter of God, ye deuil hathe a great ſorte of hierlings.
15:h.
Which was the ſixt moneth and conteined parte of Auguſt, and parte of Sept.
15:i.
After that I had ſent Snaballát his anſwere.
17:k.
Thus the Church of God hathe euermore enemies within it ſelfe, which are more dangerous then the outwarde and profeſſed enemie.