נחמיה 6

1 וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁמַ֣ע לְסַנְבַלַּ֣ט וְ֠טֹובִיָּה וּלְגֶ֨שֶׁם הָֽעַרְבִ֜י וּלְיֶ֣תֶר אֹֽיְבֵ֗ינוּ כִּ֤י בָנִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הַ֣חֹומָ֔ה וְלֹא־נֹ֥ותַר בָּ֖הּ פָּ֑רֶץ גַּ֚ם עַד־הָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא דְּלָתֹ֖ות לֹא־הֶעֱמַ֥דְתִּי בַשְּׁעָרִֽים׃

And 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, )

2 וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח סַנְבַלַּ֤ט וְגֶ֙שֶׁם֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר לְכָ֞ה וְנִֽוָּעֲדָ֥ה יַחְדָּ֛ו בַּכְּפִירִ֖ים בְּבִקְעַ֣ת אֹונֹ֑ו וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ חֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים לַעֲשֹׂ֥ות לִ֖י רָעָֽה׃

Sanaballat 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.

3 וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֨ה עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם מַלְאָכִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מְלָאכָ֤ה גְדֹולָה֙ אֲנִ֣י עֹשֶׂ֔ה וְלֹ֥א אוּכַ֖ל לָרֶ֑דֶת לָ֣מָּה תִשְׁבַּ֤ת הַמְּלָאכָה֙ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אַרְפֶּ֔הָ וְיָרַדְתִּ֖י אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

And 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.

4 וַיִּשְׁלְח֥וּ אֵלַ֛י כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אַרְבַּ֣ע פְּעָמִ֑ים וָאָשִׁ֥יב אֹותָ֖ם כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ ס

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

5 וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ אֵלַ֨י סַנְבַלַּ֜ט כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה פַּ֥עַם חֲמִישִׁ֖ית אֶֽת־נַעֲרֹ֑ו וְאִגֶּ֥רֶת פְּתוּחָ֖ה בְּיָדֹֽו׃

And 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:

6 כָּת֣וּב בָּ֗הּ בַּגֹּויִ֤ם נִשְׁמָע֙ וְגַשְׁמ֣וּ אֹמֵ֔ר אַתָּ֤ה וְהַיְּהוּדִים֙ חֹשְׁבִ֣ים לִמְרֹ֔וד עַל־כֵּ֛ן אַתָּ֥ה בֹונֶ֖ה הַחֹומָ֑ה וְאַתָּ֗ה הֹוֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

It 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

7 וְגַם־נְבִיאִ֡ים הֶעֱמַ֣דְתָּ לִקְרֹא֩ עָלֶ֨יךָ בִֽירוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לֵאמֹ֗ר מֶ֚לֶךְ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְעַתָּה֙ יִשָּׁמַ֣ע לַמֶּ֔לֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְעַתָּ֣ה לְכָ֔ה וְנִֽוָּעֲצָ֖ה יַחְדָּֽו׃ ס

Thou 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.

8 וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֤א נִֽהְיָה֙ כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַתָּ֣ה אֹומֵ֑ר כִּ֥י מִֽלִּבְּךָ֖ אַתָּ֥ה בֹודָֽאם׃

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

9 כִּ֣י כֻלָּ֗ם מְיָֽרְאִ֤ים אֹותָ֙נוּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר יִרְפּ֧וּ יְדֵיהֶ֛ם מִן־הַמְּלָאכָ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תֵעָשֶׂ֑ה וְעַתָּ֖ה חַזֵּ֥ק אֶת־יָדָֽי׃

For 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:

10 וַאֲנִי־בָ֗אתִי בֵּ֣ית שְֽׁמַֽעְיָ֧ה בֶן־דְּלָיָ֛ה בֶּן־מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵ֖ל וְה֣וּא עָצ֑וּר וַיֹּ֡אמֶר נִוָּעֵד֩ אֶל־בֵּ֨ית הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶל־תֹּ֣וךְ הַֽהֵיכָ֗ל וְנִסְגְּרָה֙ דַּלְתֹ֣ות הַהֵיכָ֔ל כִּ֚י בָּאִ֣ים לְהָרְגֶ֔ךָ וְלַ֖יְלָה בָּאִ֥ים לְהָרְגֶֽךָ׃

And 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.

11 וָאֹמְרָ֗ה הַאִ֤ישׁ כָּמֹ֙ונִי֙ יִבְרָ֔ח וּמִ֥י כָמֹ֛ונִי אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹ֥וא אֶל־הַהֵיכָ֖ל וָחָ֑י לֹ֖א אָבֹֽוא׃

And 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.

12 וָאַכִּ֕ירָה וְהִנֵּ֥ה לֹֽא־אֱלֹהִ֖ים שְׁלָחֹ֑ו כִּ֤י הַנְּבוּאָה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר עָלַ֔י וְטֹובִיָּ֥ה וְסַנְבַלַּ֖ט שְׂכָרֹֽו׃

And 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.

13 לְמַ֤עַן שָׂכוּר֙ ה֔וּא לְמַֽעַן־אִירָ֥א וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־כֵּ֖ן וְחָטָ֑אתִי וְהָיָ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְשֵׁ֣ם רָ֔ע לְמַ֖עַן יְחָֽרְפֽוּנִי׃ פ

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

14 זָכְרָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛י לְטֹובִיָּ֥ה וּלְסַנְבַלַּ֖ט כְּמַעֲשָׂ֣יו אֵ֑לֶּה וְגַ֨ם לְנֹועַדְיָ֤ה הַנְּבִיאָה֙ וּלְיֶ֣תֶר הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ מְיָֽרְאִ֥ים אֹותִֽי׃

Remember 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.

15 וַתִּשְׁלַם֙ הַֽחֹומָ֔ה בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה לֶאֱל֑וּל לַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יֹֽום׃ פ

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

16 וַיְהִ֗י כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר שָֽׁמְעוּ֙ כָּל־אֹ֣ויְבֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּֽרְא֗וּ כָּל־הַגֹּויִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר סְבִֽיבֹתֵ֔ינוּ וַיִּפְּל֥וּ מְאֹ֖ד בְּעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֚י מֵאֵ֣ת אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ נֶעֶשְׂתָ֖ה הַמְּלָאכָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃

And 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.

17 גַּ֣ם ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם מַרְבִּ֞ים חֹרֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ אִגְּרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם הֹולְכֹ֖ות עַל־טֹובִיָּ֑ה וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לְטֹובִיָּ֖ה בָּאֹ֥ות אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

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

18 כִּי־רַבִּ֣ים בִּֽיהוּדָ֗ה בַּעֲלֵ֤י שְׁבוּעָה֙ לֹ֔ו כִּי־חָתָ֥ן ה֖וּא לִשְׁכַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אָרַ֑ח וִֽיהֹוחָנָ֣ן בְּנֹ֔ו לָקַ֕ח אֶת־בַּת־מְשֻׁלָּ֖ם בֶּ֥ן בֶּֽרֶכְיָֽה׃

For 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.

19 גַּ֣ם טֹובֹתָ֗יו הָי֤וּ אֹמְרִים֙ לְפָנַ֔י וּדְבָרַ֕י הָי֥וּ מֹוצִיאִ֖ים לֹ֑ו אִגְּרֹ֛ות שָׁלַ֥ח טֹובִיָּ֖ה לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃

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