1 N ow it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung 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 t hat Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought 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 S o I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go 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 B ut they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in 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 servant to me as before, 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 it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king.

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 you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, “ There is a king in Judah!” Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult 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 to him, saying, “No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your 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 were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will 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 A fterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come 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 A nd I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? 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 T hen I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced 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 F or this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause 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, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. The Wall Completed

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 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 happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived 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 A lso in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah 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 pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married 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 A lso they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. 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.