1Now 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 in it, (though even to that time I had not s 2that 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 me mischief. 3And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it, and come down to you? 4And they sent to me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner. 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand 6in 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 are building the wall. And thou would be their king according to these words. 7And thou have also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah. And now it shall be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou say, but thou imagine them out of thine own heart. 9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it not be done. But now, [O God], strengthen thou my hands. 10And 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, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple. For they will come to 11And I said, Should such a man 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. 12And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13For 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. 14Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, who would have put me in fear. 15So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty-two days. 16And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard [of it], that all the nations that were around us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. 17Moreover in those days the ranking men of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and [the letters] of Tobiah came to them. 18For 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 to wife. 19Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.