﻿Nehemiah.
Chapter 6.
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap remained in it—though at that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gateways— 
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together at Kephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. 
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 
They sent me this same message four times, and each time I gave them the same answer. 
The fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same message and an open letter in his hand. 
It read: “It is reported among the nations—and Gashmu says so—that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. That is why you are rebuilding the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king. 
You have also appointed prophets to proclaim about you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now these reports will reach the king. So come, let us consult together.” 
I sent him this reply: “Nothing you are saying has happened. You are making it up in your own heart.” 
For they were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will grow weak at the work, and it will not be completed.” Now strengthen my hands! 
I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined there. He said, “Let us meet at the house of God, inside the temple, and close the temple doors. They are coming to kill you; they are coming to kill you at night.” 
But I said, “Should a man like me run away? And who like me could enter the temple and live? I will not go in.” 
Then I realized that God had not sent him. He had spoken this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 
He had been hired to make me afraid, so that I would act that way and sin. Then they would have grounds to give me a bad name and disgrace me. 
Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, according to these deeds of theirs, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who were trying to frighten me. 
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 
When all our enemies heard this and all the nations around us saw it, they lost much of their confidence, for they recognized that this work had been done by our God. 
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and letters from Tobiah came to them. 
For many in Judah were bound to him by an oath, since he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 
They also kept telling me about his good deeds and reporting my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. 
