Even though the returning exiles were afraid of the people who were living in the land, they rebuilt the altar where it had stood before. Then they began once again to burn on it the regular morning and evening sacrifices.

They were trying to frighten us into stopping work. I prayed, "But now, God, make me strong!"

Give strength to hands that are tired and to knees that tremble with weakness.

Tell everyone who is discouraged, "Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue, coming to punish your enemies."

Then the officials went to the king and said, "This man must be put to death. By talking like this he is making the soldiers in the city lose their courage, and he is doing the same thing to everyone else left in the city. He is not trying to help the people; he only wants to hurt them."

Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia, Ammon, and Ashdod heard that we were making progress in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and that the gaps in the wall were being closed, and they became very angry.

So they all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion,

Our enemies thought we would not see them or know what was happening until they were already upon us, killing us and putting an end to our work.