1 Q uando Sambalate, Tobias e Gesem, o arábio, e o resto dos nossos inimigos souberam que eu já tinha edificado o muro e que nele já não havia brecha alguma, ainda que até este tempo não tinha posto as portas nos portais,

Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;)

2 S ambalate e Gesem mandaram dizer-me: Vem, encontremo-nos numa das aldeias da planície de Ono. Eles, porém, intentavam fazer-me mal.

that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3 E enviei-lhes mensageiros a dizer: Estou fazendo uma grande obra, de modo que não poderei descer. Por que cessaria esta obra, enquanto eu a deixasse e fosse ter convosco?

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 D o mesmo modo mandaram dizer-se quatro vezes; e do mesmo modo lhes respondi.

And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

5 E ntão Sambalate, ainda pela quinta vez, me enviou o seu moço com uma carta aberta na mão,

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,

6 n a qual estava escrito: Entre as nações se ouviu, e Gesem o diz, que tu e os judeus intentais revoltar-vos, e por isso tu estás edificando o muro, e segundo se diz, queres fazer-te rei deles;

wherein was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou art building the wall: and thou wouldest be their king, according to these words.

7 e que constituíste profetas para proclamarem a respeito de ti em Jerusalém: Há rei em Judá. Ora, estas coisas chegarão aos ouvidos do rei; vem pois, agora e consultemos juntamente.

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 E ntão mandei dizer-lhe: De tudo o que dizes, coisa nenhuma sucedeu, mas tu mesmo o inventas.

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 P ois todos eles nos procuravam atemorizar, dizendo: As suas mãos hão de largar a obra, e não se efetuará. Mas agora, ó Deus, fortalece as minhas mãos.

For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.

10 F ui ã casa de Semaías, filho de Delaías, filho de Meetabel, que estava em recolhimento; e disse ele: Ajuntemo-nos na casa de Deus, dentro do templo, e fechemos as suas portas, pois virão matar-te; sim, de noite virão matar-te.

And I went unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, 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 E u, porém, respondi: Um homem como eu fugiria? e quem há que, sendo tal como eu, possa entrar no templo e viver? De maneira nenhuma entrarei.

And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 E percebi que não era Deus que o enviara; mas ele pronunciou essa profecia contra mim, porquanto Tobias e Sambalate o haviam subornado.

And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me: and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 E les o subornaram para me atemorizar, a fim de que eu assim fizesse, e pecasse, para que tivessem de que me infamar, e assim vituperassem.

For this cause 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 L embra-te, meu Deus, de Tobias e de Sambalate, conforme estas suas obras, e também da profetisa Noadias, e dos demais profetas que procuravam atemorizar-me.

Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

15 A cabou-se, pois, o muro aos vinte e cinco do mês de elul, em cinqüenta e dois dias.

So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 Q uando todos os nosso inimigos souberam disso, todos os povos que havia em redor de nós temeram, e abateram-se muito em seu próprio conceito; pois perceberam que fizemos esta obra com o auxílio do nosso Deus.

And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

17 A lém disso, naqueles dias o nobres de Judá enviaram muitas cartas a Tobias, e as cartas de Tobias vinham para eles.

Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

18 P ois muitos em Judá estavam ligados a ele por juramento, por ser ele genro de Secanias, filho de Ará, e por haver seu filho Joanã casado com a filha de Mesulão, filho de Berequias.

For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah to wife.

19 T ambém as boas ações dele contavam perante mim, e as minhas palavras transmitiam a ele. Tobias, pois, escrevia cartas para me atemorizar.

Also they spake of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.