« | Nehemiah 6 | » |
1 Then Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and our other enemies heard that I had built the wall. We repaired all the holes in the wall, but we had not yet put the doors in the gates.
2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come Nehemiah, let's meet together. We can meet in the town of Kephirim on the plain of Ono." But they were planning to hurt me.
3 So I sent messengers to them with this answer: "I am doing important work, so I cannot come down. I don't want the work to stop just so I can come down and meet with you."
4 Sanballat and Geshem sent the same message to me four times, and I sent the same answer back to them each time.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his helper to me with the same message. And he had a letter in his hand that was not sealed.
6 This is what the letter said: "There is a rumor going around. People are talking about it everywhere. And, by the way, Geshem says it is true. People are saying that you and the Jews are planning to turn against the king. This is why you are building the wall of Jerusalem. People are also saying that you will be the new king of the Jews.
7 And the rumor is that you have chosen prophets to announce this about you in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' "Now I warn you, Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes will hear about this. So come, let's meet and talk about this together."
8 So I sent this answer back to Sanballat: "Nothing you are saying is happening. You are just making all that up in your own head."
9 Our enemies were only trying to make us afraid. They are thinking to themselves, "The Jews will be afraid and too weak to keep on working. Then the wall will not be finished." But I prayed, "God, make me strong."
10 One day I went to the house of a man named Shemaiah son of Delaiah. Delaiah was the son of Mehetabel. Shemaiah had to stay in his house. He said, "Nehemiah, let's meet in God's Temple. Let's go inside the Holy Place and lock the doors. Men are coming to kill you. Tonight they are coming to kill you."
11 But I said to Shemaiah, "Should a man like me run away? You know that an ordinary man like me cannot go into the Holy Place without being put to death. I will not go!"
12 I knew that God had not sent Shemaiah. I knew that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do that.
13 They hired Shemaiah to scare me and make me sin {by going into that part of the Temple}. They were planning those bad things against me so that they could shame me.
14 God, please remember Tobiah and Sanballat and the bad things they have done. Also remember the woman prophet Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to scare me.
15 So the wall of Jerusalem was completed on the 25 day of the month of Elul. It had taken 52 days to finish building the wall.
16 Then all our enemies heard that we had completed the wall, and all the nations around us saw that it was finished. So they lost their courage, because they understood that this work had been done with the help of our God.
17 Also in those days after the wall had been completed, the rich people of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and he was answering their letters.
18 They sent those letters because many people in Judah had promised to be loyal to him. The reason for this is because Tobiah was sonin- law to Shecaniah son of Arah. And Tobiah's son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam. Meshullam is the son of Berekiah.
19 And in the past, those people had made a special promise to Tobiah. So they kept telling me how good Tobiah was. And they kept telling Tobiah what I was doing. Tobiah kept sending me letters to make me afraid.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.