Nehemiah 6:2-4

New Catholic Bible

² Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come here and confer with us in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” Their intention was clearly to do me harm.

³ Therefore, I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am engaged in a great project, and I cannot come down to you at this particular time. Why should the work come to a grinding halt while I leave it and come down to you?” ⁴ They sent me the same invitation four times, and on each occasion I gave them the same reply.