CHAPTER 6
1 Forsooth it was done, when San-ballat had heard, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia, and our other enemies, that I had builded the wall, and no more breaking was therein; and unto that time I had not set up the leaves of shutting of the gates;
2 and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia sent to me, and said, Come thou into a field, and smite we bond of peace in villages [or little towns]; certainly they thought to do evil to me.
3 Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore, lest peradventure it be done recklessly or negligently, when I come, and go down to you.
4 Soothly they sent to me by this word by four times, and I answered to them by the former word.
5 And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his child; and he had in his hand a letter,
6 written in this manner; It is heard among heathen men, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews think for to rebel, and therefore ye build the wall, and thou wilt raise thee king on them;
7 for which cause also thou hast set prophets, which preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, A king is in Jerusalem; the king shall hear these words; therefore come thou now, that we take counsel together.
8 And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for of thine own heart thou makest these things.
9 All these men made us afeared, and thought that our hands should cease from our works, and that we should rest from building; for which cause I strengthened more mine hand thereto.
10 And I entered privily into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, which said to me, Treat we there with ourselves in the house of God, in the midst of the temple, and close we the gates of the house; for they shall come to slay thee, yea, by night they shall come to slay thee.
11 And I said, Whether any man like to me, that is, trusting so to God, as I do, hath fled for such a thing, and who as I shall enter into the temple, and shall live, or be saved there? I will not enter [in]thither.
12 And I understood that God had not sent him, but he spake as prophesying to me; and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for meed.
13 For he had taken price, that I should be afeared, and do their will, and that I should do sin; and they should have evil, which they should put to me with shame.
14 Lord, have mind of me, for Tobiah and Sanballat, by such works of them; but also of Noadiah, the prophetess, and of other prophets, that have made me afeared.
15 And the wall was ended in the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, in two and fifty days.
16 And it was done, when all our enemies had heard, that all [the] heathen men dreaded us, that were in our compass, and they felled down within themselves, and they knew then, that this work was made of God.
17 But also in those days many letters of the principal men of Jews were sent to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them.
18 For many men were in Judah, that had his oath, that is, were sworn to him; for he had wedded the daughter of Shechaniah, the son of Arah; and Johanan, his son, had taken the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.
19 But also they praised him before me, and told my words to him; and Tobiah sent letters, to make me afeared.