CHAPTER 6
When
Sanballat,
Tobiah,
Geshem
the Arab,
and the rest
of our enemies
heard
that
I had rebuilt
the wall
and not
a gap
was left—
though
to
that
time
I had not yet
installed
the doors
in the gates—
Sanballat
and Geshem
sent
me this message:
“Come,
let us meet
together
in one of the villages
on 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
to go down
to you?”
The fifth
time,
Sanballat
sent
me this
same message
by his young servant,
who had in his hand
an unsealed
letter
that read:
“It is reported
among the nations—
and Geshem
agrees—
that you
and the Jews
are plotting
to revolt,
and this is why
you
are building
the wall.
According to these
reports,
you
are to become
their
king,
and you have even
appointed
prophets
in Jerusalem
to proclaim
on your behalf:
‘There is a king
in Judah.’
Soon
these
rumors
will reach the ears
of the king.
So
come,
let us confer
together.”
Then I sent
him
this reply:
“There is
nothing
to these
rumors
you
are spreading;
you
are inventing them
in your own mind.”
For
they were all
trying to frighten
us,
saying,
“Their hands
will be weakened
in
the work,
and it will never
be finished.”
But now, my God,
strengthen
my hands.
Later, I
went
to the house
of Shemaiah
son
of Delaiah,
the son
of Mehetabel,
who
was confined
to his house. He said:
“Let us meet
at
the house
of God
inside
the temple.
Let us shut
the temple
doors
because
they are coming
to kill you—
by night
they are coming
to kill you!"
But I replied,
“Should a man
like me
run away?
Should
one like me
go
into
the temple
to save his own life?
I will not
go!”
I realized
that God
had not
sent him,
but that he had uttered
this prophecy
against me
because
Tobiah
and Sanballat
had hired him.
He
had been hired
to
intimidate me
so that I would sin
by doing
as he suggested,
so they could give me
a bad
name
in order to
discredit me.
O my God,
remember
Tobiah
and Sanballat
for what they have done,
and also
Noadiah
the prophetess
and the other
prophets
who
tried to intimidate me.
When
all
our enemies
heard about this,
all
the surrounding
nations
feared
and were disheartened,
for they realized
that
this
task
had been accomplished
by
our God.
Also
in those
days,
the nobles
of Judah
sent many
letters
to
Tobiah,
and Tobiah’s
letters
came back
to them.
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.
Moreover,
these nobles kept
reporting
to me
Tobiah’s good deeds,
and they relayed
my words
to him.
And Tobiah
sent
letters
to intimidate me.