Nehemiah 6 Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that no gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not erected doors in the gates

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that no gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not erected doors in the gates— ² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm 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 four times they sent to me in this way, and I sent them the same answer. ⁵ Then Sanballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. ⁶ in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king. ⁷ you also have appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, "There is a king in Judah!" Since these words are being reported to the king, come and let's meet 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, were seeking to put us in fear, saying, Their hands will slacken from the work, and it will not be accomplished. Now, therefore, strengthen thou my hands! ¹⁰ Now I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, and he said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill you—during the night they are coming to kill you." ¹¹ But I said, "Should a man like me run away? And would a man like me go into the temple so that he can save his life? I will not go in!" ¹² And, behold, I understood that God had not sent him, but that he said this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ He had been hired to make me afraid so I would sin by doing what he suggested. Then they could create a slanderous report to use against me. ¹⁴ Remember, O God, Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their deeds, and the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who tried to alarm me. ¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ When our enemies heard of this, all of the nations surrounding us were afraid and lost their confidence. They knew that this work had been done with the help of our God. ¹⁷ Also, in those days the nobles of Judah increasingly sent their letters to Tobiah, and letters from Tobiah returned to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jehohanan took as a wife the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. ¹⁹ and they kept on, telling me what he said and conveying to him what I said. And Tobias sent letters to frighten me.