1   And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, & that there were no mo ^note breaches therein, (though at that time I had not set vp the doores vpon the gates)

2   Then sent Sanballat and Geshem vnto me, saying, Come thou that we may meete together in the villages in the plaine of Ono: and they thought to doe me euill.

3   Therefore I sent messengers vnto them, saying, I haue a great worke to doe, and I can not come downe: ^note why should the worke cease, whiles I leaue it, and come downe to you?

4   Yet they sent vnto me foure times after this sort. And I answered them after the same maner.

5   Then sent Sanballat his seruant after this sorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand,

6   Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and ^note Gashmu hath sayd it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebel, for the which cause thou buildest the wall and thou wilt bee their King according to these ^note wordes.

7   Thou hast also ordeyned ^note the Prophets to preach of thee at Ierusalem, saying, There is a King in Iudah: and nowe according to these wordes it shall come to the Kings eares: come now therefore, and let vs take counsell together.

8   Then I sent vnto him, saying, It is not done according to these wordes that thou sayest: for thou feynest them of thine owne heart.

9   For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore ^note incourage thou me.

10   ¶2; And I came to the house of Shemaiah the sonne of Delaiah the sonne of Mehetabeel, and he was ^note shut vp, and he said, Let vs come together into the house of God in the middes of the Temple, and shut the doores of the Temple:

The wall finished. They that returned from the captiuitie, are numbred. for they will come to slay thee: yea, in the night will they come to kill thee.

11   Then I said, ^note Should such a man as I, flee? Who is he, being as I am, that would go into the Temple to liue? I will not goe in.

12   And loe, I perceiued, that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13   Therefore was he hyred, that I might be afrayde, and doe thus, and sinne, and that they might haue an euill report that they might reproche me.

14   My God, remember thou Tobiah, & Sanballat according vnto these their workes, and Noadiah the ^note Prophetesse also, and the rest of the Prophets that would haue put me in feare.

15   ¶2; Notwithstanding the wall was finished on the fiue and twentieth day of ^note Elul, in two and ^note fiftie dayes.

16   And when all our enemies heard thereof, euen all the heathen that were about vs, they were afraid, & their courage failed them: for they knew, that this worke was wrought by our God.

17   And in these dayes were there many of the princes of Iudah, whose ^note letters went vnto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came vnto them.

18   For there were many in Iudah, that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Shechaniah, the sonne of Arah: and his sonne Iehonathan had the daughter of Meshullam, the sonne of Berechiah.

19   Yea, they spake in his praise before me, & tolde him my wordes, and Tobiah sent letters to put me in feare.

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