6
1 And so it was, that it was announced to Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and there were no breach left in it, although until that time I had not installed the doors in the gates.
2 And Sanballat and Geshem sent to me to say, “Come, let us agree to meet together in the shelters in the valley of Ono.” For they were scheming to do evil to me.
3 So I sent messengers to them to say, “I am doing a great work, and I am not able to go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
4 And they sent to me according to this message four times, and I answered them according to this message.
5 And Sanballat sent his servant to me with this message the fifth time, and the letter was open in his hand.
6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says: you and the Jews are plotting a revolt, so that is why you are building the wall. And you will be a king over them, according to these words.
7 And moreover you have appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So now come, and we can consult together.”
8 And I sent to him saying, “Nothing exists like these words which you are saying, because out of your heart you invented them.”
9 For they all were trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will neglect the work, and it will not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands.
10 And I myself entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, and he was confined. And he said, “Let us agree to meet in the house of God, in the middle of the temple, and let us lock the doors of the temple, because of the ones coming to kill you. And at night they are coming to kill you.”
11 And I was saying, “Should a man like me run away? And who, like me, would enter into the temple to live? I will not go in!”
12 And I was realizing, you see, it was not God who sent him to speak the prophecy against me, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 The reason he was hired was in order that I would be afraid, and I would act in that way, and I would sin, and become a bad name to them, so they could humiliate me.
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, according to these deeds of theirs. And also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.
15 And the wall was finished on the twenty- fifth of Elul, after fifty- two days.
16 And so it was, that when all our enemies heard, and all the nations which surrounded us saw, that they had failed completely in their own eyes. And they knew that this work was accomplished from our God.
17 Moreover in those days, from the increasingly powerful nobles of Judah, their letters went to Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came to them.
18 For many in Judah made an oath to him, because he was the son- in- law to Shecaniah son of Arah. And Jehohanan, his son, had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
19 Furthermore they were speaking praise of him to my face, and they were sending my words to him; Tobiah sent letters to try to frighten me.
The Book of Nehemiah