Liber Nehemiae, 6

1. Factum est autem cum audisset Sanaballat et Thobias et Gosem Arabs et ceteri inimici nostri, quod aedificassem ego murum, et non esset in ipso residua interruptio — usque ad tempus autem illud valvas non posueram in portis —

1. Now when it was reported to Sanbal'lat and Tobi'ah and to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),

2. miserunt Sanaballat et Gosem ad me dicentes: “Veni, et conveniamus in Cephirim in campo Ono”. Ipsi autem cogitabant, ut facerent mihi malum.

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

3. Misi ergo ad eos nuntios dicens: “Opus grande ego facio et non possum descendere; cur cessare oportet opus, si desistero et descendero ad vos?”.

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

4. Miserunt autem ad me secundum verbum hoc per quattuor vices, et respondi eis iuxta sermonem priorem.

4. And they sent to me four times in this way and I answered them in the same manner.

5. Et misit ad me Sanaballat iuxta verbum prius quinta vice puerum suum, et epistulam non obsignatam habebat in manu sua, in qua erat scriptum:

5. In the same way Sanbal'lat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.

6. “In gentibus auditum est, et Gosem dixit quod tu et Iudaei cogitetis rebellare, et propterea aedifices murum et levare te velis super eos regem; iuxta hanc vocem

6. In it was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall; and you wish to become their king, according to this report.

7. et prophetas posueris, qui praedicent de te in Ierusalem dicentes: “Rex in Iudaea est!”. Nunc autem auditurus est rex verba haec; idcirco nunc veni, ut ineamus consilium pariter”.

7. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, `There is a king in Judah.' And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. So now come, and let us take counsel together."

8. Et misi ad eum dicens: “Non est factum secundum verba haec, quae tu loqueris; de corde enim tuo tu componis haec”.

8. Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind."

9. Omnes enim hi terrebant nos cogitantes: “Fatigabuntur manus eorum ab opere, et non complebitur”. Quam ob causam magis confortavi manus meas.

9. For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.

10. Et ingressus sum domum Semeiae filii Dalaiae filii Meetabel, ubi erat detentus. Qui ait: “Tractemus nobiscum in domo Dei, in medio templi, et claudamus portas aedis, quia venturi sunt, ut interficiant te; utique nocte venturi sunt ad occidendum te”.

10. Now when I went into the house of Shemai'ah the son of Delai'ah, son of Mehet'abel, who was shut up, 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, at night they are coming to kill you."

11. Et dixi: “Num quisquam similis mei fugit? Et quis ut ego ingredietur templum et vivet? Non ingrediar”.

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

12. Et intellexi quod Deus non misisset eum, sed quasi vaticinans locutus esset ad me, quia Thobias et Sanaballat conduxerant eum.

12. And I understood, and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat had hired him.

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

13. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me an evil name, in order to taunt me.

14. Memento, Deus meus, Thobiae et Sanaballat iuxta opera eorum talia, sed et Noadiae prophetae et ceterorum prophetarum, qui terrebant me!

14. Remember Tobi'ah and Sanbal'lat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess No-adi'ah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

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

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

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

16. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations round about us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

17. Sed et in diebus illis, multae optimatum Iudaeorum epistulae mittebantur ad Thobiam, et a Thobia veniebant ad eos.

17. Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobi'ah, and Tobi'ah's letters came to them.

18. Multi enim in Iudaea coniurationem fecerunt cum eo, quia gener erat Secheniae filii Area, et Iohanan filius eius acceperat filiam Mosollam filii Barachiae.

18. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecani'ah the son of Arah: and his son Jehoha'nan had taken the daughter of Meshul'lam the son of Berechi'ah as his wife.

19. Sed et laudabant eum coram me et verba mea nuntiabant ei; et Thobias mittebat epistulas, ut terreret me.

19. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him. And Tobi'ah sent letters to make me afraid.