1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. 5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God , strengthen my hands.
10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. 11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there , that, being as I am , would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. 12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
15 ¶ So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof , and all the heathen that were about us saw these things , they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
17 ¶ Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. 18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
1 factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat et Tobia et Gosem Arabs
et ceteri inimici nostri
quod aedificassem ego murum
et non esset in ipso residua interruptio
usque ad tempus autem illud valvas non posueram in
portis
2 miserunt Sanaballat et Gosem ad me dicentes
veni et percutiamus foedus pariter in viculis in
campo Ono
ipsi autem cogitabant ut facerent mihi malum
3 misi ergo ad eos nuntios dicens
opus grande ego facio et non possum descendere
ne forte neglegatur cum venero et descendero ad vos
4 miserunt autem ad me secundum verbum hoc per quattuor vices
et respondi eis iuxta sermonem priorem
5 et misit ad me Sanaballat iuxta verbum prius quinta vice puerum suum
et epistulam habebat in manu scriptam hoc modo
6 in gentibus auditum est et Gosem dixit
quod tu et Iudaei cogitetis rebellare et propterea aedifices murum
et levare te velis super eos regem
propter quam causam
7 et prophetas posueris
qui praedicent de te in Hierusalem dicentes rex in Iudaea est
auditurus est rex verba haec
idcirco nunc veni ut ineamus consilium pariter
8 et misi ad eos dicens
non est factum secundum verba haec quae tu loqueris
de corde enim tuo tu conponis haec
9 omnes autem hii terrebant nos cogitantes
quod cessarent manus nostrae ab opere et quiesceremus
quam ob causam magis confortavi manus meas
10 et ingressus sum domum Samaiae filii Dalaiae filii Metabehel secreto
qui ait tractemus nobiscum in domo Dei in medio templi
et claudamus portas aedis quia venturi sunt ut interficiant te
et nocte venturi sunt ad occidendum te
11 et dixi num quisquam similis mei fugit
et quis ut ego ingredietur templum et vivet
non ingrediar
12 et intellexi quod Deus non misisset eum
sed quasi vaticinans locutus esset ad me
et Tobia et Sanaballat conduxissent eum
13 acceperat enim pretium ut territus facerem et peccarem
et haberent malum quod exprobrarent mihi
14 memento Domine mei pro Tobia et Sanaballat
iuxta opera eorum talia
sed et Noadiae prophetae et ceterorum prophetarum qui terrebant me
15 conpletus est autem murus vicesimo quinto die mensis elul
quinquaginta duobus diebus
16 factum est ergo cum audissent omnes inimici nostri
ut timerent universae gentes quae erant in circuitu nostro
et conciderent intra semet ipsos
et scirent quod a Deo factum esset opus hoc
17 sed et in diebus illis
multae optimatium Iudaeorum epistulae mittebantur ad Tobiam
et a Tobia veniebant ad eos
18 multi enim erant in Iudaea habentes iuramentum eius
quia gener erat Secheniae filii Orei
et Iohanan filius eius acceperat filiam Mosollam filii Barachiae
19 sed et laudabant eum coram me
et verba mea nuntiabant ei
et Tobias mittebat epistulas ut terreret me