Nehemiah 6

¹ Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even then I had not set up the doors in the gates), ² that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. 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 after this sort; and I answered them in the same way. ⁵ Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in 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; for which cause you build the wall. You would be their king, according to these words. ⁷ You have also appointed prophets to preach 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 us take counsel together.”

⁸ Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you invent 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 will not be done.” But now, God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, “Let us meet together in God’s house, within the temple, and let us 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 such a man as I flee? Who is there, that, being such as I am, 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, because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ He was hired so that I would be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

¹⁴ Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works, and also Noadiah the prophetess, 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 the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ It happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations that were around us saw these things, that they were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was worked of 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.