NE-6:1  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

[that] there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I

had not set up

the doors upon the gates;)

NE-6:2  That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come,

let us meet

together in [some one of] the villages in the plain of Ono. But

they thought

to do me mischief.

NE-6:3  And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I [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?

NE-6:4  Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I

answered them

after the same manner.

NE-6:5  Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner

the fifth time

with an open letter in his hand;

NE-6:6  Wherein [was] written, It is reported among the heathen,

and Gashmu

saith [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.

NE-6:7  And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee

at Jerusalem,

saying, [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.

NE-6:8  Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things

done as thou

sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

NE-6:9  For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall

be weakened

from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, [O God],

strengthen my

hands.

NE-6:10  Afterward I came unto 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, 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.

NE-6:11  And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who [is

there], that,

[being] as I [am], would go into the temple to save his life? I

will not go

in.

NE-6:12  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.

NE-6:13  Therefore [was] he 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.

NE-6:14  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.

NE-6:15  So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth [day]

of [the month]

Elul, in fifty and two days.

NE-6:16  And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard

[thereof], and

all the heathen that [were] about us saw [these things], they

were much cast

down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was

wrought of our

God.

NE-6:17  Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many

letters unto

Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came unto them.

NE-6:18  For [there were] many in Judah sworn unto him, because

he [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.

NE-6:19  Also they reported his good deeds before me, and

uttered my words to

him. [And] Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

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