KJV ORIGINAL
And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then I realized that God had not sent him at all. He was speaking this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to do it.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Nehemiah recognized that a supposed prophet was actually being paid by his enemies to deceive and discourage him from his God-given mission.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls around 445 BC. Tobiah and Sanballat were local officials who opposed the Jewish reconstruction project because it threatened their political influence in the region. They repeatedly tried to stop or sabotage Nehemiah's work through various schemes, including hiring false prophets to manipulate him.
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