Sanballat, have nothing
whatever to do with it.

'Ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.'

Be content then, Sanballat, to manage your own province of Samaria, and
to leave Jerusalem and the Jews to me and to their God.

No answer came back to Nehemiah's letter, and perhaps he and his
companions fondly dreamed that this was an end to the matter, that the
storm had blown over, and that Sanballat, when he saw that they were
determined, and that they did not heed his threats or his ridicule,
would in the future let them alone.

But one day, quite suddenly, the clouds returned, and the storm rose.
The work is progressing splendidly. The priests and the merchants, and
the goldsmiths and the apothecaries, the daughters of Shallum, earnest
Baruch, and white-headed Shemaiah, are all at their post, when suddenly,
as they look up, they see an unexpected sight. A great crowd of
Samaritans is gathered together outside the northern wall, and is
standing still, staring at them, and watching their every movement as
they build the wall.

Sanballat the governor is there, Tobiah the secretary stands by his
side, his chief counsellors have come with him, as have also the
officers of his army. Dark and thick the storm is gathering, and surely
the builders feel it, for the trowels cease their cheery ringing sound,
and all are listening, waiting and wondering what will come next.

The silence is broken by a loud scornful voice, loud enough to be heard
down the line of workers, and by Nehemiah as he stands among them. He
knows that voice well; it is the voice of Sanballat the governor. In
scoffing disagreeable words he is speaking to his companions, but he is
talking about the builders, and is talking for their benefit too, that
they may feel the full sting of his sarcastic words.

'What do these feeble Jews?' A poor weak, miserable down-trodden set of
men; what can _they_ do?

'Will they fortify themselves?' Do they fondly dream they will ever
finish their work, and fortify their city?

And how long will it take to build walls like these? Do they think it
will be done directly? 'Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a
day?' Do they expect to offer the sacrifice at the commencement of their
work, and then the very same day to finish it?

Why, they have not even the necessary materials. Where will they get
their stone from? Are they going to do what is impossible, to make
good, solid building-stone out of