1 N ow when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates,

And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates,)

2 S anballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they intended to do me harm.

that Sanballat sendeth, also Geshem, unto me, saying, `Come and we meet together in the villages, in the valley of Ono;' and they are thinking to do to me evil.

3 A nd I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to you?

And I send unto them messengers, saying, `A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?'

4 T hey sent to me four times this way, and I answered them as before.

and they send unto me, according to this word, four times, and I return them according to this word.

5 T hen Sanballat sent his servant to me again the fifth time with an open letter.

And Sanballat sendeth unto me, according to this word, a fifth time, his servant, and an open letter in his hand;

6 I n it was written: It is reported among the neighboring nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore you are building the wall, that you may be their king, according to the report.

it is written in it, `Among the nations it hath been heard, and Gashmu is saying: Thou and the Jews are thinking to rebel, therefore thou art building the wall, and thou hast been to them for a king -- according to these words!

7 A lso you have set up prophets to announce concerning you in Jerusalem, There is a king in Judah. And now this will be reported to the king. So, come now and let us take counsel together.

And also, prophets thou hast appointed to call for thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king in Judah, and now it is heard by the king according to these words; and now come, and we take counsel together.'

8 I replied to him, No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own heart and mind.

And I send unto him, saying, `It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;'

9 F or they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, Their hands will be so weak that the work will not be done. But now strengthen my hands!

for all of them are making us afraid, saying, `Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;' and now, strengthen Thou my hands.

10 I went into the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up. 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 are coming to kill you—at night they are coming to kill you.

And I have entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel -- and he is restrained -- and he saith, `Let us meet at the house of God, at the inside of the temple, and we shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming in to slay thee -- yea, by night they are coming in to slay thee.'

11 B ut I said, Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple and yet live? I will not go in.

And I say, `A man such as I -- doth he flee? and who as I, that doth go in unto the temple, and live? -- I do not go in.'

12 A nd behold, I saw that God had not sent him, but he made this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

And I discern, and lo, God hath not sent him, for in the prophecy he hath spoken unto me both Tobiah and Sanballat hired him,

13 H e was hired that I should be made afraid and do as he said and sin, that they might have matter for an evil report with which to taunt and reproach me.

so that he an hireling, that I may fear and do so, and I had sinned, and it had been to them for an evil name that they may reproach me.

14 M y God, think on Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.

Be mindful, O my God, of Tobiah, and of Sanballat, according to these his works, and also, of Noadiah the prophetess, and of the rest of the prophets who have been making me afraid.

15 S o the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

And the wall is completed in the twenty and fifth of Elul, on the fifty and second day;

16 W hen all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us feared and fell far in their own esteem, for they saw that this work was done by our God.

and it cometh to pass, when all our enemies have heard, and all the nations who are round about us see, that they fall greatly in their own eyes, and know that by our God hath this work been done.

17 M oreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.

Also, in those days the freemen of Judah are multiplying their letters going unto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah are coming in unto them;

18 F or many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

for many in Judah are sworn to him, for he son-in-law to Shechaniah son of Arah, and Jehohanan his son hath taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah;

19 A lso they spoke of good deeds before me and told him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

also, his good deeds they have been saying before me, and my words they have been taking out to him; letters hath Tobiah sent to make me afraid.