1. 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 {cf15I that} there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2. That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in {cf15I some one of} the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I {cf15I 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?
4. Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6. Wherein {cf15I was} written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith {cf15I 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.
7. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, {cf15I 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.
8. Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, {cf15I O God}, strengthen my hands.
10. Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who {cf15I 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 {cf15I is there}, that, {cf15I being} as I {cf15I 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 {cf15I was} he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and {cf15I that} they might have {cf15I 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 {cf15I day} of {cf15I the month} Elul, in fifty and two days.
16. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard {cf15I thereof}, and all the heathen that {cf15I were} about us saw {cf15I 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 {cf15I the letters} of Tobiah came unto them.
18. For {cf15I there were} many in Judah sworn unto him, because he {cf15I 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. {cf15I And} Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.