[1] Now when it was reported to Sanbal'lat and Tobi'ah and to Geshem the
Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that
there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up
the doors in the gates), [2] Sanbal'lat and Geshem sent to me, saying,
"Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono."
But they intended to do me harm. [3] And I sent messengers to them, saying,
"I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop
while I leave it and come down to you?" [4] And they sent to me four times
in this way and I answered them in the same manner. [5] In the same way
Sanbal'lat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in
his hand. [6] In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and
Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you
are building the wall; and you wish to become their king, according to this
report. [7] And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in
Jerusalem, `There is a king in Judah.' And now it will be reported to the
king according to these words. So now come, and let us take counsel
together." [8] Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have
been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." [9] For they
all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work,
and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands. [10]
Now when I went into the house of Shemai'ah the son of Delai'ah, son of
Mehet'abel, who was shut up, he said, "Let us meet together in the house of
God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple; for they
are coming to kill you, at night they are coming to kill you." [11] But I
said, "Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into
the temple and live? I will not go in." [12] And I understood, and saw that
God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because
Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat had hired him. [13] For this purpose he was hired,
that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give
me an evil name, in order to taunt me. [14] Remember Tobi'ah and
Sanbal'lat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the
prophetess No-adi'ah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me
afraid. [15] So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month
Elul, in fifty-two days. [16] And when all our enemies heard of it, all the
nations round about us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem;
for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of
our God. [17] Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters
to Tobi'ah, and Tobi'ah's letters came to them. [18] For many in Judah were
bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecani'ah the son
of Arah: and his son Jehoha'nan had taken the daughter of Meshul'lam the
son of Berechi'ah as his wife. [19] Also they spoke of his good deeds in my
presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobi'ah sent letters to make me
afraid.
