Now that the internal crisis has been alleviated, the account turns again to the opposition from without, this time by trickery. Apparently Sanballat and his allies, having failed in their former tactics, decide the only way to stop the revitalizing of the Jewish community is to eliminate their leader. They are desperate, for now only the gates must be finished to complete the wall. Their first attempted “trick” is to entice Nehemiah to a diplomatic meeting. Nehemiah recognizes their attempt to trick him, so he firmly answers that h…