6
1 Now
when it was
reported to
Sanballat, Tobiah,
Geshem the Arabian,
and to the
rest of our enemies
that I had
built the wall,
and that there
was no breach
left in it (though
even to that
time I had
not set up
the doors in
the gates),
2 Sanballat
and Geshem sent
to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet
together in the
villages in the
plain of Ono.” But
they intended to
harm me.
3 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?”
4 They
sent to me four
times like this;
and I answered
them the same
way.
5 Then
Sanballat sent his
servant to me
the same way
the fifth time
with an open letter
in his hand,
6 in
which was written,
“It is reported
among the nations,
and Gashmu says
it, that you
and the Jews
intend to rebel.
Because of that,
you are building
the wall. You
would be their
king, according to
these words.
7 You
have also
appointed prophets
to proclaim of
you at Jerusalem,
saying, ‘There is
a king in
Judah!’ Now it
will be reported
to the king
according to these
words. Come now
therefore, and
let’s take counsel
together.”
8 Then
I sent to
him, saying, “There
are no such
things done as
you say, but
you imagine them
out of your
own heart.”
9 For
they all would
have made us
afraid, saying, “Their
hands will be
weakened from the
work, that it
not be done.”
But now,
strengthen my
hands.
10 I
went to the
house of Shemaiah
the son of
Delaiah the son
of Mehetabel, who
was shut in
at his home;
and he said, “Let
us meet together
in God’s house,
within the temple,
and let’s shut the
doors of the
temple; for they
will come to kill
you. Yes, in
the night they
will come to kill
you.”
11 I said, “Should
a man like me
flee? Who is there
that, being such
as I, would go
into the temple
to save his life?
I will not go
in.”
12 I
discerned, and
behold, God had
not sent him,
but he pronounced
this prophecy
against me. Tobiah
and Sanballat had
hired him.
13 He
was hired so
that I would
be afraid, do
so, and sin,
and that they
might have material
for an evil
report, that they
might reproach me.
14 “Remember,
my God, Tobiah and
Sanballat according to
these their works,
and also the
prophetess Noadiah
and the rest
of the prophets
that would have
put me in
fear.”
15 So the
wall was finished
in the
twenty-fifth day
of Elul, in
fifty-two days.
16 When
all our enemies
heard of it,
all the nations
that were around
us were afraid,
and they lost
their confidence;
for they perceived
that this work
was done by
our God.
17 Moreover
in those days
the nobles of
Judah sent
many letters to
Tobiah, and
Tobiah’s letters came
to them.
18 For there
were many in
Judah sworn to
him because he
was the son-in-law
of Shecaniah the
son of Arah; and
his son Jehohanan
had taken the
daughter of
Meshullam the son
of Berechiah
as wife.
19 Also
they spoke of
his good deeds
before me, and
reported my words
to him. Tobiah
sent letters to
put me in
fear.