1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and
Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had
builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;
(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us
meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But
they thought to do me mischief.
3 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?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I
answered them after the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the
fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the
heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for
which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according
to these words.
7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at
Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be
reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us
take counsel together.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done
as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be
weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of
Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet
together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of
the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come
to slay thee.
11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to
save his life? I will not go in.
12 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.
13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and
do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for
an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to
these their works, and on 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 and fifth day of the month Elul,
in fifty and two days.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about
us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own
eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters
unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because
he was the
son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the
daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.
19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my
words to him. And Tobiah sent
letters to put me in fear.
