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Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
6:1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah,
and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard
that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach
left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the
doors upon the gates;)
6:2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come,
let us meet together in some one of the villages in the
plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
6:3 And I sent 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?
6:4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I
answered them after the same manner.
6:5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner
the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6:6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen,
and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel:
for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be
their king, according to these words.
6:7 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 take counsel together.
6:8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things
done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own
heart.
6:9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall
be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now
therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
6:10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of
Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said,
Let 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.
6:11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is
there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save
his life? I will not go in.
6:12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but
that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and
Sanballat had hired him.
6:13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and
do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil
report, that they might reproach me.
6:14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according
to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the
rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
6:15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day
of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
Opposition to the
Completed Wall
6:16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies
heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw
these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes:
for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
6:17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many
letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto
them.
6:18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because
he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his
son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of
Berechiah.
6:19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and
uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me
in fear. |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
