Nehemiah
Nehemiah 6 ©
1 Sanballat practiseth against Nehemiah by insidious attempts, 5 false rumours, 10 and hired prophecies. 15 The wall is finished to the great dismay of the enemy. 17 The nobles of Judah hold traitorous intelligence with Tobiah.
NOW it came to pass, when aSanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no bbreach left therein; (though at that time I chad not set up the doors upon the gates;)
And I gsent 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?
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
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 ktake counsel together.
For they all made us mafraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, nO God, strengthen my hands.
Afterward I came unto the house of oShemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was pshut up; and he said, qLet 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.
And, lo, I sperceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
And it came to pass, that when yall our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were zmuch cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
¶Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah 2sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.