1-2. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no more breaks in it—even though I hadn’t yet installed the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent this message: “Come and meet with us at Kephirim in the valley of Ono.”
4. Four times they sent this message and four times I gave them my answer.
8. I sent him back this: “There’s nothing to what you’re saying. You’ve made it all up.”
9. They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, “They’ll give up; they’ll never finish it.”I prayed, “Give me strength.”
10. Then I met secretly with Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, at his house. He said:Let’s meet at the house of God,inside The Temple;Let’s find safety behind locked doorsbecause they’re coming to kill you,Yes, coming by night to kill you.