1 ¶ Now it came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem, the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon 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 t hat Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they had thought to do me evil.

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 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?

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 Y et they sent unto me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner.

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 slave to say the same thing for the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,

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

6 i n which was written, It is reported among the Gentiles, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou dost build the wall, that thou may be their king, according to these words.

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 nd thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah! And now these words shall be heard by the king. Come now, therefore, 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 T hen I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou dost feign them out of thine own heart.

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 made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it not be done. Now, therefore, O God, 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 ¶ Afterward I came in secret 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 are coming to slay thee; yea, tonight they will come to slay thee.

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 T hen I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there as I who could go into the temple and 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 I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me, for 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 F or he was bribed to make me be thus afraid and sin and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might 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 thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets, that did things to 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 ¶ So the wall was finished the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

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

16 A nd it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard of it, all the Gentiles that were about us feared, and they were much cast down in their own eyes, and they knew that this work was wrought of 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 L ikewise, in those days the principals of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto 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 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.

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 T hey also reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

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.