Nehemiah 6:1-19 CSB

[1] When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it-though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates- [2] Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: "Come, let's meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley." 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 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 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." 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." [9] For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, "They will drop their hands from the work, and it will never be finished." But now, my God, strengthen my hands. [10] I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said: Let's meet at the house of God, inside the temple. Let's shut the temple doors because they're coming to kill you. They're coming to kill you tonight! [11] But I said, "Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go." [12] I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. [13] He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me. [14] My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me. [15] The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. [16] When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God. [17] During those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. [18] For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam 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 me.