Sanballat’s Conspiracy

1And it will be as it was heard by Sanballat and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I built the wall and a breach was not left in it; also even to this time I set not up the doors in the gates; 2And Sanballat sent to me and Geshem, saying, Come, and we will pass over together in the villages in the valley of Ono. And they reckoned to do evil to me. 3And I shall send messengers to them, saying, I do a great work, and I shall not be able to come down: wherefore shall the work cease when I shall desist and come down to you? 4And they will send to me according to this word four times; and I shall turn them back according to this word. 5And Sanballat will send his young man to me according to this word the fifth time, and a letter opened in his hand; 6Being written in it, It was heard in the nations, and Geshem said, Thou and the Jews are reckoning to rebel: for this thou buildest the wall, and thou to be to them for king according to these words. 7And also thou didst set up prophets to call upon thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king in Judah: and now it will be heard by the king according to these words: and now come and we will counsel together. 8And I shall send to him saying, It was not according to these words which thou sayest, for from thy heart thou feignest them. 9For all of them causing us to be afraid, saying, their hands shall be slackened from the work, and it shall not be done. And now strengthen my hand.

10And I came to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel, and he was shut up; and he will say, We will pass over to the house of God into the midst of the temple, and we will shut the doors of the temple: for they are coming to kill thee; and by night coming to kill thee. 11And saying, Shall a man like me flee? and who as I that shall go into the temple and live? I will not go in. 12And I shall know, and behold, not God sent him; for he spake the prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat hired him. 13So that he was hired that I shall be afraid and do thus, and sin, and it was to them for an evil name, so that they shall reproach me. 14Remember, O my God, to Tobiah and to Sanballat, according to these his works, and also to Noadiah the prophetess, and to the rest of the prophets who were causing me to fear.

Completion of the Wall

15And the wall will be completed in the twenty and fifth to Elul, to fifty and two days. 16And it will be as all our enemies heard, and all the nations that were round about us saw, and they will fall greatly in their own eyes: and they knew that from God was done this work. 17Also in these days the nobles of Judah were multiplying their letters going to Tobiah, and those to Tobiah came to them. 18For many in Judah being married by oath to him for he was son-in-law to Shechaniah son of Arah; and Johanan his son took the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah. 19Also his good things were said before me, and my words were brought forth to him. Tobiah sent letters to cause me to fear.