Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
1
When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and
the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it -
though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates -
2
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message;
"Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono."
But they were scheming to harm me;
3
so I sent messengers to them with this reply:
"I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down.
Why sould the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"
4
Four times they sent me the same message and
each time I gave them the same answer.
5
Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message,
and in his hand was an unsealed letter
6
in which was written: "It is reported among the nations
- and Geshem says it it true - that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt,
and therefore you are building the wall.
Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king
7
and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you
in Jerusalem; 'There is a king in Judah!" Now this report will get back to
the king; so come, let us confer together."
8
I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening:
you are just making it up out of your head."
9
They were all trying to frighten us thinking,
"Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed."
But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
10
One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah,
the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said,
"Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and
let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you -
by night they are coming to kill you."
11
But I said, "Should a man like me turn away?
Or shouldone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"
12
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he prophesied against me
because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13
He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this,
and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.
14
Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done;
remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets
who have been trying to intimidate me.
The Completion of the Wall
15
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16
When all our enemies heard about this all the surrounding nations were afraid
and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been
done with the help of our God.
17
Also, in those days the nonles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah,
and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.
18
For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to
Shecaniah son of Arah and his son Jehohanan had married the daugher
of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
19
Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and
then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
