But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite subordinate, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed at us in mockery, and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. Yet you were not willing,
You meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, those who remember You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we had sinned; in our sins we remained a long time, and shall we be saved?
so that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.’ ”