Sanbalah, Tobiah, Kishan the Arabite, and our other enemies heard that I had finished repairing the city wall, and there was no crack in it (at that time I had not yet set up the door).

Then Sanballat and Kishan sent messengers to me, saying, Come, let us meet in a village in the plain of Arno. But they want to harm me.

So I sent someone to see them and said, ‘I am currently handling major work and cannot go down.’. How can we stop working and meet you?

They sent people to see me four times, and I answered them in the same way.

Sanballa sent his servants to me the fifth time, holding an unsealed letter in his hand,

It is written in the letter that there is a rumor among the Gentiles, and Kashmu (also known as Kishan 2:19) said, ‘You have rebelled against the Jews and are building the city walls, and you will be their king.’.

You have sent prophets to preach about you in Jerusalem, saying that there is a king in Judah. Now these words will be spread to Wang Zhi. So please come and discuss with us.

I sent someone to see him and said, ‘There is nothing you have said about this matter, it was fabricated in your heart.’.

They will all make us afraid, meaning that their hands will be weak, so that work cannot be completed. God, strengthen my hands.

I arrived at the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the grandson of Mehdabel. At that time, he stayed indoors. He said, “Why don’t we meet in the temple of God and lock the door?”. Because they came to kill you, they came to kill you at night.

I said, why should people like me run away? How can people like me enter the temple to save their lives? I won’t go in.

I see that God did not send him, but he himself spoke these words against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat bribed him.

The reason for bribing him is to make me fear, to follow his sins, so that they may spread evil words and slander me.

My God, Tobiah, Sanballat, the prophetess Noadiah, and the other prophets will make me afraid. Remember these things that they have done.

On the 25th day of the Eiroku month, the city wall was completed and was repaired for a total of 52 days.

All our enemies, the foreigners around us, heard it and were afraid, their brows furrowed. Because seeing this work completed is beyond our control.

In those days, the nobles of Judah repeatedly sent letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah also wrote to them.

Many people in Judah formed an alliance with Tobiah. Because he was the son of Arah, the son-in-law of Shecani, and his son Johanan married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

They often speak of Tobiah’s good deeds before me, and they also proclaim my words to him. Tobiah often sends letters to make me afraid.