Nehemiah 6:3
New International Version
so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”

New Living Translation
so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

English Standard Version
And 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?”

Berean Standard Bible
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”

King James Bible
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?

New King James Version
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

New American Standard Bible
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”

NASB 1995
So 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?”

NASB 1977
So 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?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So 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?”

Amplified Bible
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to [meet with] you?”

Christian Standard Bible
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So 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?”

American Standard Version
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?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And I sent them a Messenger and I said to them: “I am doing a great work and I cannot go down, lest it would stop when I leave and come down to join you.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I shall not be able to come down, lest the work should cease: as soon as I shall have finished it, I will come down to you.

Contemporary English Version
So I sent messengers to tell them, "My work is too important to stop now and go there. I can't afford to slow down the work just to visit with you."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I sent messengers to them, saying: I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down, lest it be neglected whilst I come, and go down to you.

English Revised Version
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?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I sent messengers to tell them, "I'm working on an important project and can't get away. Why should the work stop while I leave to meet with you?"

Good News Translation
I sent messengers to say to them, "I am doing important work and can't go down there. I am not going to let the work stop just to go and see you."

International Standard Version
So I sent messengers to them, replying "I am involved in a great endeavor, so I can't leave. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
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?'

Literal Standard Version
And I send to them messengers, saying, “A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why does the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down to you?”

Majority Standard Bible
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”

New American Bible
I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am engaged in a great enterprise and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop, while I leave it to come down to you?”

NET Bible
So I sent messengers to them saying, "I am engaged in an important work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt when I leave it to come down to you?"

New Revised Standard Version
So 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 to come down to you?”

New Heart English Bible
I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And I sent messengers to 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?

World English Bible
I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?”

Young's Literal Translation
And I send unto them messengers, saying, 'A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sanballat's Conspiracy
2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?” 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.…

Cross References
Nehemiah 6:2
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me.

Nehemiah 6:4
Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.


Treasury of Scripture

And I sent messengers to 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 I sent

Proverbs 14:15
The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

I am doing

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Luke 14:30
Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

John 9:4
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

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Able Alone Carrying Cease Great Leave Messengers Possible Project Stop Stopped Whilst Work
Nehemiah 6
1. Sanballat practices by craft, by rumors, and by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah
15. The work is finished, to the terror of the enemies
17. Secret intelligence passes between the enemies and the nobles of Judah
















Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So I sent
וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֨ה (wā·’eš·lə·ḥāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

messengers
מַלְאָכִים֙ (mal·’ā·ḵîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4397: A messenger, of God, an angel

to them,
עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם (‘ă·lê·hem)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

saying,
לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I
אֲנִ֣י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am doing
עֹשֶׂ֔ה (‘ō·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

a great
גְדוֹלָה֙ (ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

work
מְלָאכָ֤ה (mə·lā·ḵāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4399: Deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property

and cannot
וְלֹ֥א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

come down.
לָרֶ֑דֶת (lā·re·ḏeṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

Why
לָ֣מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

should the work
הַמְּלָאכָה֙ (ham·mə·lā·ḵāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4399: Deputyship, ministry, employment, work, property

stop
תִשְׁבַּ֤ת (ṯiš·baṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7673: To repose, desist from exertion

while
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (ka·’ă·šer)
Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I leave it
אַרְפֶּ֔הָ (’ar·pe·hā)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7503: Sink, relax

to go down
וְיָרַדְתִּ֖י (wə·yā·raḏ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

to you?”
אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to


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OT History: Nehemiah 6:3 I sent messengers to them saying (Neh Ne)
Nehemiah 6:2
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