11. But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Should I run into the Temple to save my life? I will not go.”
12. I knew that God had not sent him. Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to prophesy against me.
13. They paid him to frighten me so I would do this and sin. Then they could give me a bad name to shame me.
14. I prayed, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God. Remember what they have done. Also remember the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who have been trying to frighten me.”
15. So the wall of Jerusalem was completed. It was on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. It took 52 days to rebuild.
16. Then all our enemies heard about it. And all the nations around us saw it. So they were shamed. They understood that the work had been done with the help of our God.
17. Also in those days the important men of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah. And Tobiah answered them.
18. Many Jews had promised to be faithful to Tobiah. This was because Tobiah was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. And Tobiah’s son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.
19. Those important men kept telling me about the good things Tobiah was doing. Then they would tell Tobiah what I said about him. So Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.