1Now it happened, when it was heard by Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that no breach was left in it—though up 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 were plotting to do me harm.
3So 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 and come down to you?”
4They sent to me in this manner four times, and I answered them in the same manner.
5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in this manner a fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.
6In it was written: “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And you would become their king, according to these reports.
7And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ And now this will be reported to the king. So come now, let us take counsel together.”
8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you are saying have happened; rather, you are inventing them out of your own heart.”
9For they were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will grow slack from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, strengthen my hands!
10And I came to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you—yes, by night they are coming to kill you.”
11But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And who is there like me who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”
12Then I recognized—and behold, it was not God who had sent him, but he had spoken the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13For this reason he was hired: so that I would be afraid and act accordingly and sin, and so give them cause for an evil report against me, that they might taunt me.
14Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these deeds of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.
15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it and all the nations around us saw it, that they fell greatly in their own eyes, and they knew that this work had been accomplished by our God.
17Also in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and those from Tobiah kept coming to them;
18for many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah as his wife.
19Moreover, they kept speaking of his good deeds in my presence and reporting my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
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