Nehemiah Sent to Judah

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.

Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem's Walls

Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.

Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.

And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”

And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.

In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”

And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.

Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.