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¹ And it happened, when it was heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that no break was left in it though at that time I had not set up doors on the gates,² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do evil to me.³ And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease 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 way.⁵ Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, in which was written,⁶ It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says that you and the Jews plan to rebel; for which reason you are building the wall, so that you may be a king to them, according to these words.⁷ And you have also set up prophets to preach about you at Jerusalem, saying, A king in Judah! And now it shall be reported to the king according to these words. Therefore, come now and let us consult together.⁸ And I sent to him, saying, These things which you are saying are not happening, for you pretend them out of your own heart.⁹ For they all made us fear, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, and it will not be done. And now, make my hands strong.

¹⁰ And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up. And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut thedoors of the temple. For they will come tokill you. Yea, in the night they will come to kill you.¹¹ And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who being as I am would go into the temple and live? I will not go in.¹² And I understood that, behold, God had not sent him. For he spoke the prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.¹³ So he was hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and I should sin, and become for them for an evil name with which they might reproach me.¹⁴ O God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also to the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who are my alarmers.

¹⁵ So the wall was restored in the twenty fifth of Elul, on the fifty second day.¹⁶ And it happened when all our enemies heard, and all the nations who were around us saw, they were very much lowered in their own eyes. For they saw that this work was done by our God.¹⁷ And in those days the nobles of Judah were increasing their letters going to Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came to them.¹⁸ For many in Judah were sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.¹⁹ Also they reported his good deeds before me, and my words were going to him. Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.