Nehemiah 6
1 Now it came to pass, when it came to the hearing of Sanballat, and Tobiyah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein, although up to that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gates.
Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballath hadde herd, and Tobie, and Gosem of Arabie, and oure other enemyes, that Y hadde bildide the wal, and nomore brekyng was therynne; sotheli `til to that tyme Y hadde not set leeuys of schittyng in the yatis;
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in Kephirim, in the plain of Ono. But they were thinking of doing me mischief.
Sanaballath, and Tobie, and Gosem of Arabie senten to me, and seiden, Come thou, and smyte we boond of pees in calues, `in o feeld; forsothe thei thouyten for to do yuel to me.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down: why should the work cease, while I leave it lying, and come down to you?
Therfor Y sente messangeris to hem, and Y seide, Y make a greet werk, and Y mai not go doun, lest perauenture it be doon retchelesli, whanne Y come, and go doun to you.
4 And they sent unto me after this manner four times; and I answered them after the same manner.
Sotheli thei senten to me `bi this word bi foure tymes, and Y answeride to hem by the formere word.
5 Then sent Sanballat unto me in like manner the fifth time his young man with an open letter in his hand:
And Sanaballath sente to me the fyuethe tyme bi the formere word his child; and he hadde in his hond a pistle writun in this maner;
6 Therein was written, It hath been heard among the nations, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think of rebelling; wherefore thou art building up the wall; and that thou art to be king unto them, according to these reports.
It is herd among hethene men, and Gosem seide, that thou and the Jewis thenken for to rebelle, and therfor ye bilden, and thou wolt `reise thee king on hem;
7 And that thou hast also set up prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem, saying, He is king in Judah: and now there may be reported to the king something like these words. Now therefore come, and let us take counsel together.
for which cause also thou hast set profetis, that prechen of thee in Jerusalem, and seien, A king is in Jerusalem; the king schal here these wordis; therfor come thou now, that we take counsel togidere.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, “There hath been done nothing like these reports of which thou speakest; but out of thy own heart thou inventest them.”
And Y sente to hem, and seide, It is not doon bi these wordis whiche thou spekist; for of thin herte thou makist these thingis.
9 For they all wished to make us afraid, thinking, Their hands will be withdrawn from the work, so that it will not be done. Now therefore, [O God, ] strengthen my hands.
Alle these men maden vs aferd, and thouyten that oure hondis schulden ceesse fro werkis, that we schulden reste; for which cause Y coumfortide more myn hond.
10 And I came also into the house of Shema'yah the son of Delayah the son of Mehetabel, who had shut himself up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us lock the doors of the temple; for they are coming to slay thee: yea, in the night are they coming to slay thee.
And Y entride priueli in to the hows of Samaie, sone of Dalie, the sone of Methabehel, which seide, Trete we with vs silf in the hows of God, in the myddis of the temple, and close we the yatis of the hows; for thei schulen come to sle thee, `and thei schulen come `bi niyt to sle thee.
11 And I said, Should a man like me flee? and who is there that is like me, that would go into the temple and live? I will not go in.
And Y seide, Whether ony man lijk me fledde, and who as Y schal entre in to the temple, and schal lyue?
12 And I perceived that, lo, God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy over me, because Tobiyah and Sanballat had hired him.
Y schal not entre. And Y vndurstood that God `hadde not sent hym, but `he spak as profesiynge to me; and Tobie and Sanaballath `hadden hirid hym for meede.
13 Therefore was he hired, in order that I should become afraid, and do so, and sin, and that it might serve them for an evil report, so that they might cast reproach upon me.
For he hadde take prijs, that Y schulde be aferd, and do, and that Y schulde do synne; and thei schulden haue yuel, which thei schulden putte to me with schenschip.
14 Think, O my God, of Tobiyah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also of No'adyah the prophetess, and the rest of the prophets, who wished to make me afraid.
Lord, haue mynde of me, for Tobye and Sanaballath, bi siche werkis `of hem; but also of Noadie, the profete, and of othere profetis, that maden me aferd.
15 And so was the wall finished on the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
Forsothe the wal was fillid in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe Ebul, in two and fifti daies.
16 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard this, and all the nations that were about us saw it, that they sank greatly in their own eyes; and they perceived that by the aid of our God had this work been wrought.
Sotheli it was doon, whanne alle oure enemyes hadden herd, that alle hethene men dredden, that weren in oure cumpas, and thei felden doun with ynne hem silf, and wiste, that this work was maad of God.
17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah despatched frequently their letters unto Tobiyah, and those of Tobiyah came unto them.
But also in tho daies many pistlis of the principal men of Jewis weren sent to Tobie, and camen fro Tobie to hem.
18 For many in Judah were sworn friends unto him; because he was the son-in-law of Shechanyah the son of Arach, and Jehochanan his son had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Bercehyah.
For many men weren in Judee, and hadden his ooth; for he hadde weddid the douyter of Sechenye, the sone of Rotel; and Johannam, his sone, hadde take the douyter of Mosallam, sone of Barachie.
19 Also his good deeds were they reporting before me, and my words they used to carry out to him: also Tobiyah sent letters to make me afraid.
But also thei preisiden hym bifor me, and telden my wordis to hym; and Tobie sente lettris, for to make me aferd.
