1Now it happened, 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 set up the doors in the gates), 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 harm. 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 in this way; and I answered them in 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 you and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause you are building the wall: and you would be their king, according to these words. 7And you have also appointed prophets to preach of you 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 you say, but you feign them out of your own heart. 9For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it may not be done. But now, O God, strengthen 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 slay you; indeed, in the night they will come to slay you. 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, look, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13For this reason 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 happened, when all our enemies heard of it, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. 17Moreover in those days the nobles 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 as 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.