Attempts to Discourage the Builders

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies^(A) heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it^(B)—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates^(C)— ² Sanballat and Geshem^(D) sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of^[a] the Ono Valley.”^(E) They were planning to harm me.

³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.

⁵ Sanballat^(F) sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. ⁶ In it was written:

It is reported among the nations—and Geshem^[b](G) agrees—that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king ⁷ and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf, “There is a king in Judah.”^(H) These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.

⁸ Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”^{(I) 9} For they were all trying to intimidate^(J) us, saying, “They will drop their hands from^[c] the work,^(K) and it will never be finished.”

But now, my God, strengthen my hands.^(L)

Attempts to Intimidate Nehemiah

¹⁰ I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:

¹¹ But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live?^(M) I will not go.” ¹² I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat^(N) had hired him. ¹³ He was hired, so that I would be intimidated,^(O) do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.

¹⁴ My God, remember^(P) Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah^(Q) and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.

The Wall Completed

¹⁵ The wall was completed^(R) in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul.^{(S) 16} When all our enemies^(T) heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated^(U) and lost their confidence,^[e] for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.^(V)

¹⁷ During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah,^(W) and Tobiah’s letters came to them. ¹⁸ For many in Judah were bound by oath^(X) to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam^(Y) son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ These nobles kept mentioning Tobiah’s good deeds to me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate^(Z) me.