Nehemiah 6

Thomson^{(i) 1} Now when Sanaballat and Tobias and Gesam the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no opening left therein; [at that time I had not fixed up the doors in the gates,] ² Sanaballat and Gesam sent to me saying, Come let us have a meeting at the villages in the plain of Ono, intending to do me some mischief. ³ Upon which I sent messengers to them saying, I am engaged in a great work, and cannot go down, lest the work should stop. Soon as I have completed it, I will go down to you. ⁴ Again they sent to me to the same effect, and I returned them the same answer. ⁵ Then Sanaballat sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand, ⁶ in which was written, "It is reported among the nations that thou and the Jews intend to rebel; that for this purpose thou art rebuilding the wall; and that thou art to be their king: ⁷ and besides this that thou hast set up prophets for thyself that thou mayst make thyself king in Jerusalem over Juda. Now these reports will be told to the king, now therefore come and let us consult together." ⁸ In reply to which I sent to him saying, There is no foundation for the reports as thou mentionest them, for thou thyself feignest them out of thine own heart. ⁹ Because all were trying to terrify us saying, Their hands must be weakened from this work, so that it may not be accomplished, therefore on this occasion I strengthened my hands. ¹⁰ So when I went to the house of Semei, son of Dalaia, son of Metabaal, he became enrapt and said, "Let us repair to the house of God; into the midst thereof; and shut the doors thereof; for they are coming by night to kill us." ¹¹ But I said, What sort of a man must he be who would go into the house of God to save his life! ¹² And upon inquiry I found that God had not sent him, and that his prophecy was a contrivance against me; ¹³ and that Tobias and Sanaballat had hired a multitude against me, that I might be frightened, and act in this manner, and take a wrong step, and fall into disrepute, that they might reproach me. ¹⁴ Remember, God, Tobias and Sanaballat, according to these doings of theirs; and Noadias the prophet, and the rest of the prophets, who tried to terrify me. ¹⁵ Now the wall was finished on. the five and twentieth day of the month Elul, in fifty two days. ¹⁶ And when all our enemies heard; all the nations around us were terrified, and great fear fell upon them; for they saw plainly that the perfecting of this work was of our God. ¹⁷ In those days many of the nobles of Juda sent letters to Tobias, and received letters from him. ¹⁸ For many in Juda were affined to him, for he was the son in law of Sechenias, son of Erae, and his son Jonan had married a daughter of Mesulam, son of Barachias, ¹⁹ and they kept on, telling me what he said and conveying to him what I said. And Tobias sent letters to frighten me.