Books

2 Chronicles 11

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

Switch Version:

¹ For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, [O God,] strengthen my hands.

² When I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was[1] confined at home, he said, "Let us meet [and take refuge] together in the house of God,[2] within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, because they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."

³ But I said, "Should a man like me flee [in fear and hide]? Should[3] someone like me enter the temple [for sanctuary] to save his life? I will not go."

⁴ Then I realized that God had not sent him, but he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

⁵ He was hired for this reason, that I would be frightened and do as he said and sin, so that they would have [grounds to make] a malicious report in order to censure and disgrace me.

⁶ Remember, O My God, Tobiah and Sanballat in regard to these actions of theirs, and also [remember] the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

⁷ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days.

⁸ When all our enemies heard about it, and all the [Gentile] nations around us saw it,[4] they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

⁹ Moreover, in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.

¹⁰ For[5] 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 married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

¹¹ Also, they were speaking about Tobiah's good deeds in my presence, and reporting to him what I said. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

¹² Now when the wall had been rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites had been appointed,

¹³ I put my brother Hanani, with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for Hananiah was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many [of the others].

¹⁴ I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the[1] sun is hot; and while the watchmen are still standing guard, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from the residents of Jerusalem, each at his post [on the wall], and each in front of his own house."

¹⁵ Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people in it and the houses had not [yet] been built.

¹⁶ Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. Then I found the register of the genealogy of those who came [from Babylon] first, and I found the following record:

¹⁷ These are the sons (descendants, people) of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported [to Babylon]; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his city,

¹⁸ the ones who came with[2] Zerubbabel, Jeshua,[3] Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The men of the people of Israel[4] numbered:

¹⁹ the sons of Parosh, 2,172;

²⁰ the sons of Shephatiah, 372;

²¹ the sons of Arah, 652;

²² the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;

²³ the sons of Elam, 1,254;

#	AMP
1	For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done." But now, [O God,] strengthen my hands.
2	When I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was[1] confined at home, he said, "Let us meet [and take refuge] together in the house of God,[2] within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, because they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night."
3	But I said, "Should a man like me flee [in fear and hide]? Should[3] someone like me enter the temple [for sanctuary] to save his life? I will not go."
4	Then I realized that God had not sent him, but he spoke this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
5	He was hired for this reason, that I would be frightened and do as he said and sin, so that they would have [grounds to make] a malicious report in order to censure and disgrace me.
6	Remember, O My God, Tobiah and Sanballat in regard to these actions of theirs, and also [remember] the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.
7	So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days.
8	When all our enemies heard about it, and all the [Gentile] nations around us saw it,[4] they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
9	Moreover, in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
10	For[5] 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 married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
11	Also, they were speaking about Tobiah's good deeds in my presence, and reporting to him what I said. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
12	Now when the wall had been rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites had been appointed,
13	I put my brother Hanani, with Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for Hananiah was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many [of the others].
14	I said to them, "Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the[1] sun is hot; and while the watchmen are still standing guard, have them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from the residents of Jerusalem, each at his post [on the wall], and each in front of his own house."
15	Now the city was spacious and large, but there were few people in it and the houses had not [yet] been built.
16	Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the people to be registered by genealogy. Then I found the register of the genealogy of those who came [from Babylon] first, and I found the following record:
17	These are the sons (descendants, people) of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported [to Babylon]; they returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his city,
18	the ones who came with[2] Zerubbabel, Jeshua,[3] Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah. The men of the people of Israel[4] numbered:
19	the sons of Parosh, 2,172;
20	the sons of Shephatiah, 372;
21	the sons of Arah, 652;
22	the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818;
23	the sons of Elam, 1,254;

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Holy Bible

2 Chronicles 11

Select Commentary