[[Nehemiah 5|<< Nehemiah 5]] | [[Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] | [[Nehemiah 7|Nehemiah 7 >>]] ### Nehemiah 6 1 NOW it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and _that_ there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ^1 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in _some_ _one_ _of_ the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. ^2 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I _am_ doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? ^3 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. ^4 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; ^5 6 Wherein _was_ written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith _it_, _that_ thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. ^6 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, _There_ _is_ a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. ^7 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. ^8 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, _O_ _God_, strengthen my hands. ^9 10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who _was_ shut 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 will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. ^10 11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who _is_ _there_, that, _being_ as I _am_, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. ^11 12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ^12 13 Therefore _was_ he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and _that_ they might have _matter_ for an evil report, that they might reproach me. ^13 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. ^14 15 ¶ So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth _day_ of _the_ _month_ Elul, in fifty-two days. ^15 16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard _thereof_, and all the heathen that _were_ about us saw _these_ _things_, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. ^16 17 ¶ Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and _the_ _letters_ of Tobiah came unto them. ^17 18 For _there_ _were_ many in Judah sworn unto him, because he _was_ the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. ^18 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. _And_ Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. ^19