Sanballat practiseth by craft, by rumours, by hired prophecies, to terrify Nehemiah.

1 ¶ Now it came to pass,² when² Sanballat,º and Tobiah,º and Geshemº the Arabian,º and the restº of our enemies,ºª heardºª that² I had buildedºª² the wall,º and [that] there was no² breachº leftºª therein; (thoughº¹ at² that² timeº I had not² set upºª the doorsº upon the gates;)º 2 That Sanballatº and Geshemº sentºª unto² me, saying,ºª Come,¹ª² let us meetºª togetherº in [some one of] the villagesº in the plainº of Ono.º But they² thoughtºª to doºª me mischief.º 3 And I sentºª messengersº unto² them, saying,ºª I² [am] doingºª a greatº work,º so that I cannotºª² come down:ºª why² should the workº cease,ºª whilstº I leaveºª it, and come downºª to² you? 4 Yet they sentºª unto² me fourº timesº after this² sort;º and I answeredºª them after the same² manner.º 5 Then sentºª Sanballatº² his servantº unto² me in like² mannerº the fifthº timeº with an openºª letterº in his hand;º 6 Wherein [was] written,ºª It is reportedºª among the heathen,º and Gashmuº saithºª [it, that] thou² and the Jewsº thinkºª to rebel:ºª for² which causeº thou² buildestºª the wall,º that thou² mayest beºª their king,º according to these² words.º 7 And thou hast also² appointedºª prophetsº to preachºª of² thee at Jerusalem,º saying,ºª [There is] a kingº in Judah:º and now² shall it be reportedºª to the kingº according to these² words.º Come¹ª² now² therefore, and let us take counselºª together.º 8 Then I sentºª unto² him, saying,ºª There areºª no² such² thingsº done¹ª as² thou² sayest,ºª but² thou² feignestºª them out of thine own heart.º² 9 For² they all² made us afraid,ºª² saying,ºª Their handsº shall be weakenedºª from² the work,º that it be not² done.ºª Now² therefore, [O God], strengthenºª² my hands.º 10 Afterward I² cameºª unto the houseº of Shemaiahº the sonº of Delaiahº the sonº of Mehetabeel,º who² [was] shut up;ºª and he said,ºª Let us meet togetherºª in² the houseº of God,º withinº² the temple,º and let us shutºª the doorsº of the temple:º for² they will comeºª to slayºª thee; yea, in the nightº will they comeºª to slayºª thee. 11 And I said,ºª Should such¹ a man¹ as I²² flee?ºª and who² [is there], that,² [being] as I² [am], would goºª into² the templeº to save his life?ºª I will not² go in.ºª 12 And, lo,² I perceivedºª that Godº had not² sentºª him; but² that he pronouncedºª this prophecyº against² me: for Tobiahº and Sanballatº had hiredºª him. 13 Therefore² [was] he² hired,ºª that² I should be afraid,ºª and do² so,¹ª² and sin,ºª and [that] they might have² [matter] for an evilº report,º that² they might reproachºª me. 14 My God,º thinkºª thou upon Tobiahº and Sanballatº according to these² their works,º and² on the prophetessº Noadiah,º and the restº of the prophets,º that² would have² put me in fear.ºª

The work is finished to the terror of the enemies.

15 ¶ So the wallº was finishedºª in the twentyº and fifthº [day] of [the month] Elul,º in fiftyº and twoº days.º 16 And it came to pass,² that when² all² our enemiesºª heardºª [thereof], and all² the heathenº that² [were] about² us¹ sawºª [these things], they were muchº cast downºª in their own eyes:º for they perceivedºª that² this² workº was wroughtºª of²² our God.º

Secret intelligence passeth between the enemies and the nobles of Judah.

17 ¶ Moreover² in those² daysº the noblesº of Judahº sentºª manyºª lettersº unto² Tobiah,º and [the letters] of Tobiahº cameºª unto² them. 18 For² [there were] manyº in Judahº swornºº unto him, because² he² [was] the son in lawº of Shechaniahº the sonº of Arah;º and his sonº Johananº had takenºª² the daughterº of Meshullamº the sonº of Berechiah.º 19 Also² they reportedºª² his good deedsº beforeº me, and utteredºª² my wordsº to him. [And] Tobiahº sentºª lettersº to put me in fear.ºª