¹Now 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 ),

²Sanballat 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 .

³I 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 ?”

⁴They sent to me four times like this ; and I answered them the same way .

⁵Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand ,

⁶in 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 .

⁷You 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 .”

⁸Then I sent to him , saying , “There are no such things done as you say , but you imagine them out of your own heart .”

⁹For 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 .

¹⁰I 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 .”

¹¹I 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 .”

¹²I discerned , and behold , God had not sent him , but he pronounced this prophecy against me . Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him .

¹³He 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 .”

¹⁵So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days .

¹⁶When 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.

¹⁷Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah , and Tobiah ’s letters came to them .

¹⁸For 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.

¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds before me , and reported my words to him . Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear .