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¹ And when Sanaballat, Tobia, and Gesem the Arabian, and the other of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there were no mo gappes therein: (howebeit at the same time had I not hanged the doores vpon the gates,)² Sanaballat and Gesem sent vnto me, saying: Come, that we may meete & take counsel together in the villages that are in the playne of the citie Ono. Neuerthelesse, they thought to do me euill.³ And I sent messengers vnto them, saying: I haue a great businesse to do, and I can not come downe: Why should the worke ceasse, whilest I leaue it and come downe to you?⁴ Howbeit, they sent vnto me as good as foure times after the same maner: And I gaue them the same aunswere.⁵ Then sent Sanaballat his seruaunt againe vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hande,⁶ Wherein was written: It is tolde the heathen, and Gesem hath saide it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebel: for the which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayst be their king, according to these wordes:⁷ And hast ordayned the prophetes to preache of thee at Hierusalem, and to say, He is king of Iuda. And now shall this come to the kinges eares: come now therefore, and let vs take our counsell together.⁸ And I sent vnto him, saying: There is no such thing done as thou sayest, for thou fainest them out of thyne owne heart.⁹ For they were all minded to make vs afrayde, saying, They shall withdrawe their handes from their worke, that it shall not be finished: Nowe therefore strengthen thou my hande.

¹⁰ And I came vnto the house of Semaia the sonne of Delaia, the sonne of Mehetabeel, & he had shut him selfe within, and saide: Let vs come together in the house of God, euen vnto the middest of the temple, & shut the doores of the temple, for they wyll come to slay thee, yea euen in the night wyll they come to put thee to death.¹¹ And I saide: should any such man as I flee? Who is, that being as I am, wyll go into the temple to saue his life? I wil not go in.¹² And loe, I perceaued that God hath not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: For Tobia and Sanaballat had hired him for money.¹³ Therfore was he hyred, that through feare I should so do, & sinne, that they might haue an euill report of me to lay to my charge.¹⁴ My God, thinke thou vpon Tobia and Sanaballat according vnto these their workes, and on the prophetisse Noadia, and the other prophetes that would haue put me in feare.

¹⁵ And the wall was finished on the twentie and fifth day of the moneth Elul, in fiftie and two dayes.¹⁶ And when all our enemies hearde thereof, all the heathen that was about vs were afrayd, and their courage fayled them: For they perceaued that this worke came of our God.¹⁷ And at the same time were there many of the chiefe of Iuda whose letters wente vnto Tobia, and againe from Tobia vnto them.¹⁸ For there were many in Iuda that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Sechania, the sonne of Arah, and his sonne Iehonathan had the daughter of Mesullam the sonne of Barachia,¹⁹ And they spake good of him before me, and tolde him my wordes: and Tobia sent letters to put me in feare.