- When Sanballat , Tobiah , Geshem the Arab , and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt - the wall and not a gap was left though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates —
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 planning to harm ...
So I sent messengers to them , saying , “ I am doing a great work and cannot ... come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you ? ”
Four times they sent me ... the same message , and each time I gave - the same reply.
The fifth - time , Sanballat sent me ... this same message by his young servant , who had in his hand an unsealed letter
that read “ It is reported among the nations — and Geshem agrees — that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt , (and) this is why ... you are building the wall. According to these reports , you are to become king ,
and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem ... to proclaim on your behalf : ‘ There is a king in Judah. ’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come , let us confer together. ”
Then I sent him this reply : “ There is nothing to these - rumors you are spreading ; ... you are inventing them in your own mind. ”
For they were all (trying) to frighten us , saying , “ Their hands will be weakened in the work , and it will never be finished. ” But now, my God , strengthen - my hands.
Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah , the son of Mehetabel , who was confined to his house. He said : “ Let us meet at the house of God inside ... the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you — by night they are coming to kill you ! ”
But I replied , “ Should a man like me run away ? Should one like me - go into the temple to save his own life ? I will not go ! ”
I realized ... that God had not sent him , but that he had uttered (this) prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested , so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.
O my God , remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done , ... and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who ... tried to intimidate me -.
So the wall was completed in fifty-two ... days , on the twenty-fifth ... of Elul.
- When all our enemies ... heard about this , all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened ... , vvv for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
Also in those days , the nobles of Judah sent many letters ... to Tobiah , and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.
For many in Judah were bound by oath since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah , and his son Jehohanan had married - the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
Moreover , these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds , and they relayed my words ... And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.