Nehemiah 6:3-5

New Catholic Bible

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.

⁵ Then, for the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same message, but this time in an unsealed letter.