¶ Now it came to pass, when Sanballat¹, and Tobiah, and Geshem² 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 time⁴ I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come⁵, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono⁶. But they thought⁷ to do me mischief.

And I sent⁸ messengers unto them, saying, I am doing⁹ a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Yet they sent unto me four times¹⁰ after this sort; and I answered¹¹ them after the same manner.

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter¹² in his hand;

Wherein was written, It is reported¹³ among the heathen, and Gashmu¹⁴ saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest¹⁶ be their king, according to these words.

And thou hast also appointed¹⁷ prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king¹⁸ in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now¹⁹ therefore, and let us take counsel together.

Then I sent unto him, saying, There are²⁰ no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest²¹ them out of thine own heart.

For they²² all made us afraid, saying, Their hands²³ shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore,²⁴ O God, strengthen my hands.

¶ Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah²⁵ the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up²⁶; and he said, Let us meet²⁷ together in the house²⁸ of God, within the temple, and let us shut²⁹ the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night³⁰ will they come to slay thee.

And I said, Should such³¹ a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go³² into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

And, lo, I perceived³³ that God had³⁴ not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him³⁵.

Therefore was he hired, that I should³⁶ be afraid, and do so, and sin³⁷, and that they³⁸ might have matter for an evil report, that³⁹ they might reproach me.

My God⁴⁰, think thou⁴¹ upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess⁴² Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

¶ So the wall⁴³ was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty⁴⁴ and two days.

And it came to pass, that when all our enemies⁴⁵ heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived⁴⁶ that this work was wrought of our God.

Moreover in those days the nobles⁴⁷ of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah⁴⁸, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah⁴⁹; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam⁵⁰ the son of Berechiah.

Also they reported⁵¹ his good deeds before me, and uttered my words⁵² to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.