Sanballat’s Conspiracy

1And whan Saneballat, Tobias and Gosem the Arabian, and the other of oure enemyes herde, that I had buylded the wall, and that there were no mo gappes ther in (howbeit at the same tyme had I not hanged the dores vpon the gates) 2Saneballat and Gosem sent vnto me, sayenge: Come and let us mete together in the vyllages vpon the playne of the cite Ono. Neuertheles they thoughte to do me euell. 3Notwithstondynge I sent messaungers vnto them, sayenge: I haue a greate busynes to do, I can not come downe. The worke shulde stonde still, yf I were necligent, and came downe to you. 4Howbeit they sent vnto me as good as foure tymes after the same maner. And I gaue the same answere. 5Then sent Saneballat his seruaunt vnto me the fifth tyme, with an open letter in his hande, 6wherin was wrytten: It is tolde the Heythen, & Gosem hath sayde it, that thou and the Iewes thynke to rebell: for ye which cause thou buyldest the wall, and wylt be their kynge in these matters, 7and hast ordeyned the prophetes to preach of the at Ierusalem, and to saye: He is kynge of Iuda. Now shal this come to the kynges eares: come now therfore, and let us take oure councell together. 8Neuertheles I sent vnto him, sayenge: There is no soch thinge done as thou sayest: thou hast fayned it out of thine owne hert. 9For they were all mynded to make us afrayed, and thoughte: They shal withdrawe their handes from the worke, yt they shal not laboure. Howbeit I stregthed my hande the more.

10And I came vnto ye house of Semaia ye sonne of Delaia the sonne of Mechetabeel, & he had shut him selfe within, & sayde: Let us come together in to ye house of God, eue vnto ye myddes of ye teple, & sparre ye dores of ye teple: for they wyl come to slaye ye, yee eue in the night wyl they come to put the to death. 11But I sayde: Shulde soch a ma flye? Shulde soch a ma as I am, go in to ye teple, to saue his life? I wyl not go in. 12For I perceaued, that God had not sent him: Yet spake he prophecye vpon me, neuerthelesse Tobias and Saneballat had hired him for money. 13Therfore toke he the money, that I shulde be afrayed, and so to do and synne, that they might haue an euell reporte of me, to blaspheme me. 14My God thynke thou vpon Tobias and Saneballat, acordynge vnto these their workes, and of ye prophet Noadia, and of the other prophetes, yt wolde haue put me in feare.

Completion of the Wall

15And the wall was fynished on the fyue & twentyeth daye of the moneth Elul, in two and fyftye dayes. 16And whan all or enemies herde therof, all the Heithen yt were aboute vs, were afraied, and their corage failed the: for they perceaued, that this worke came of God. 17And at ye same tyme were there many of ye chefe of Iuda, whose letters wete vnto Tobias, & from Tobias vnto them 18for there were many in Iuda that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Sachania the sonne of Arah, and his sonne Iohanan had the doughter of Mesullam the sonne of Barachia, 19and they spake good of him before me, and tolde him my wordes. And Tobias sent letters, to put me in feare.