Nehemia 6

1And it came to pass, when Sanaballat, and Tobias, and Gossem 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 in the gates,)

2Sanaballat and Gossem Rent to me, saying: Come, and let us make a league together in the villages, in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

3And I sent messengers to them, saying: I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down, lest it be neglected whilst I come, and go down to you.

4And they sent to me according to this word, four times: and I answered them after the same manner.

5And Sanaballat sent his servant to me the fifth time according to the former word, and he had a letter in his hand written in this manner:

6It is reported amongst the Gentiles, and Gossem hath said it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, and therefore thou buildest the wall, and hast a mind to set thyself king over them: for which end

7Thou hast also set up prophets, to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying: There is a king in Judea. The king will hear of these things: therefore come now, that we may take counsel together.

8And I sent to them, saying: There is no such thing done as thou sayest: but thou feignest these things out of thy own heart.

9For all these men thought to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would leave off. Wherefore I strengthened my hands the more:

10And I went into the house of Samaia the son of Delaia, the son of Metabeel privately. And he said: Let us consult together in the house of God in the midst of the temple: and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come to kill thee, and in the night they will come to slay thee.

11And I said: Should such a man as I Bee? and who is there that being as I am, would go into the temple, to save his life? I will not go in.

12And I understood that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken to me as if he had been prophesying, and Tobias, and Sanaballat had hired him.

13For he had taken money, that I being afraid should do this thing, and sin, and they might have some evil to upbraid me withal.

14Remember me, O Lord, for Tobias and Sanaballat, according to their works of this kind: and Noadias the prophet, and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.

15But the wall was finished the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, in two and fifty days.

16And it came to pass when all our enemies heard of it, that all nations which were round about us, were afraid, and were cast down within themselves, for they perceived that this work was the work of God.

17Moreover in those days many letters were sent by the principal men of the Jews to Tobias, and from Tobias there came letters to them.

18For there were many in Judea sworn to him, because he was the son in law of Sechenias the son of Area, and Johanan his son had taken to wife the daughter of Mosollam the son of Barachias.

19And they praised him also before me, and they related my words to him: And Tobias sent letters to put me in fear.

1Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat, et Tobias, et Gossem Arabs, et ceteri inimici nostri, quod ædificassem ego murum, et non esset in ipso residua interruptio (usque ad tempus autem illud valvas non posueram in portis),

2miserunt Sanaballat et Gossem ad me, dicentes: Veni, et percutiamus fœdus pariter in viculis in campo Ono. Ipsi autem cogitabant ut facerent mihi malum.

3Misi ergo ad eos nuntios, dicens: Opus grande ego facio, et non possum descendere, ne forte negligatur cum venero, et descendero ad vos.

4Miserunt autem ad me secundum verbum hoc per quatuor vices: et respondi eis juxta sermonem priorem.

5Et misit ad me Sanaballat juxta verbum prius quinta vice puerum suum, et epistolam habebat in manu sua scriptam hoc modo:

6In gentibus auditum est, et Gossem dixit, quod tu et Judæi cogitetis rebellare, et propterea ædifices murum, et levare te velis super eos regem: propter quam causam

7et prophetas posueris, qui prædicent de te in Jerusalem, dicentes: Rex in Judæa est. Auditurus est rex verba hæc: idcirco nunc veni, ut ineamus consilium pariter.

8Et misi ad eos, dicens: Non est factum secundum verba hæc, quæ tu loqueris: de corde enim tuo tu componis hæc.

9Omnes enim hi terrebant nos, cogitantes quod cessarent manus nostræ ab opere, et quiesceremus: quam ob causam magis confortavi manus meas.

10Et ingressus sum domum Semaiæ filii Dalaiæ filii Metabeel secreto. Qui ait: Tractemus nobiscum in domo Dei in medio templi, et claudamus portas ædis: quia venturi sunt ut interficiant te, et nocte venturi sunt ad occidendum te.

11Et dixi: Num quisquam similis mei fugit? et quis ut ego ingredietur templum, et vivet? non ingrediar.

12Et intellexi quod Deus non misisset eum, sed quasi vaticinans locutus esset ad me, et Tobias et Sanaballat conduxissent eum.

13Acceperat enim pretium, ut territus facerem, et peccarem, et haberent malum quod exprobrarent mihi.

14Memento mei, Domine, pro Tobia et Sanaballat, juxta opera eorum talia: sed et Noadiæ prophetæ, et ceterorum prophetarum, qui terrebant me.

15Completus est autem murus vigesimo quinto die mensis Elul, quinquaginta duobus diebus.

16Factum est ergo cum audissent omnes inimici nostri, ut timerent universæ gentes quæ erant in circuitu nostro, et conciderent intra semetipsos, et scirent quod a Deo factum esset opus hoc.

17Sed et in diebus illis multæ optimatum Judæorum epistolæ mittebantur ad Tobiam, et a Tobia veniebant ad eos.

18Multi enim erant in Judæa habentes juramentum ejus, quia gener erat Secheniæ filii Area, et Johanan filius ejus acceperat filiam Mosollam filii Barachiæ:

19sed et laudabant eum coram me, et verba mea nuntiabant ei: et Tobias mittebat epistolas ut terreret me.

1Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem, an Arab, and our other enemies, had heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no interruption remaining in it, (even though, at that time, I had not set up the double doors at the gates,)

2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying: “Come, and let us strike a pact together in the villages, on the plain of Ono.” But they were thinking that they would do me harm.

3Therefore, I sent messengers to them, saying: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot descend, lest perhaps it may be neglected when I go out and descend to you.”

4Then they sent to me, with this same word, four times. And I responded to them with the same word as before.

5And Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time, with the former word, and he had a letter in his hand written in this manner:

6“It has been heard among the Gentiles, and Geshem has said it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and because of this, you are building the wall and thinking to raise yourself as a king over them. For this reason,

7you also have stationed prophets, who preach about you in Jerusalem, saying: ‘There is a king in Judea!’ But the king will hear about these words. Therefore, come now, so that we may go to counsel together.”

8And I sent to them, saying: “There has been nothing done according to these words, which you have spoken. For you are inventing these things from your own heart.”

9For all these men wished to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would cease. For this reason, I strengthened my hands all the more.

10And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, in secret. And he said: “Let us consult together in the house of God, in the midst of the temple. And let us close the doors of the temple. For they will come to kill you, and they will arrive in the night to put you to death.”

11And I said: “How could anyone like me flee? And who like me should enter the temple, so that he may live? I will not enter.”

12And I understood that God had not sent him, but he had spoken to me as if he were prophesying, and that Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13For he had accepted money, so that I would be afraid, and would sin, and so that they would have some evil with which to rebuke me.

14Remember me, O Lord, because of Tobiah and Sanballat, because of their works of this kind. Then, too, Noadiah, a prophetess, and the rest of the prophets, would have made me afraid.

15Now the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.

16Then it happened that, when all our enemies had heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they were downcast within themselves. For they knew that this work had been accomplished by God.

17But also, in those days, many letters were being sent by the nobles of the Jews to Tobiah, and were arriving from Tobiah to them.

18For there were many in Judea who had sworn an oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, the son of Arah, and because Jehohanan, his son, had married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

19Moreover, they praised him before me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters, so that he might make me afraid.