6:1 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–
6:2 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;
6:3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”
6:4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
6:5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter
6:6 in which was written: “It is reported among the nations–and Geshem says it is 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
6:7 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.”
6:8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
6:9 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.”
6:10 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.”
6:11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”
6:12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
6:13 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.
6:14 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.
6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
6:16 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.
6:17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.
6:18 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 daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
6:19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
6:1 And when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that no breach remained in it (though as yet I had not set up the doors in the gates),
6:2 Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me, saying, Come; let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm.
6:3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it to come down to you?
6:4 And they sent word to me four times in this way, and I answered them in this way.
6:5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in this way the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,
6:6 In which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; therefore you are building the wall. And, according to these words, you are to be their king.
6:7 And you have also set up prophets to declare in Jerusalem concerning you, saying, There is a king in Judah! And now a report will be made to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
6:8 Then I sent word to him, saying, None of these things that you are saying have happened; rather you have invented them in your own heart.
6:9 For all of them tried to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be weakened from working, and it will not be done. But now strengthen my hands!
6:10 And I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who had shut himself 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 are coming to slay you; indeed at night they are coming to slay you.
6:11 But I said, Should a man like me flee? And who, being like me, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
6:12 Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him but that he spoke this prophecy against me and that Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
6:13 He had been hired for this reason, that I would be frightened and that I would act in such a way as to sin; then they would have cause for an evil report in order to reproach me.
6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets, who tried to frighten me.
6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.
6:16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that surrounded us were afraid and fell very low in their own eyes, for they knew that this work was done with the help of our God.
6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them;
6:18 For many in Judah were sworn to his cause 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 his wife.
6:19 They also spoke of his good deeds before me and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.