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
built the wall, and [that] there was no breach left in it,
(though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the
gates;)
6:2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent to 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.
6:3 And I sent messengers to 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?
6:4 Yet they sent to me four times after this sort; and I
answered them after the same manner.
6:5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the
fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6:6 In which [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.
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.
6:8 Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as
thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thy own heart.
6:9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be
weakened from the work, that it may not be done. Now therefore,
[O God], strengthen my hands.
6:10 Afterward 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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth [day] of
[the month] Elul, in fifty and two days.
6:16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard [of
it], 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 by our God.
6:17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many
letters to Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came to them.
6:18 For [there were] many in Judah sworn to 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.
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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