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;)
02 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.
03 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?
04 Yet they sent unto me four times after this
sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
05 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in
like manner the fifth time with an open letter in
his hand;
06 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.
07 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.
08 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no
such things done as thou sayest, but thou
feignest them out of thine own heart.
09 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.
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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.
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