Nehemiah:6:1-14
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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 ;)
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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 .
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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 ?
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Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort ;
and I answered them after the same manner .
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Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand ;
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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 .
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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 .
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Then I sent unto him ,
saying ,
There are no such things done as thou sayest ,
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .
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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 .