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¹ Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)² that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in [one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do mischief to me.³ And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?⁴ And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.⁵ Then Sanballat sent his attendant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,⁶ wherein was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause you are building the wall: and you would be their king, according to these words.⁷ And you have also appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now it shall 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, There are no such things done as you say, but you feign them out of your own heart.⁹ For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it will not be done. So now, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ And I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay you; yes, in the night they will come to slay you.¹¹ And I said, Should a man such as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.¹² And I discerned, and saw that God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.¹³ For this cause he was hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.¹⁴ Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also 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 [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty and two days.¹⁶ And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard [thereof], that all the nations that were about us feared, and 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 to Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came to them.¹⁸ For there were many in Judah sworn to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife.¹⁹ Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.