נחמיה 6

1 וַיְהִ֣י כַאֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁמַ֣ע לְסַנְבַלַּ֣ט וְ֠טוֹבִיָּה וּלְגֶ֨שֶׁם הָֽעַרְבִ֜י וּלְיֶ֣תֶר אֹֽיְבֵ֗ינוּ כִּ֤י בָנִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הַ֣חוֹמָ֔ה וְלֹא־נ֥וֹתַר בָּ֖הּ פָּ֑רֶץ גַּ֚ם עַד־הָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא דְּלָת֖וֹת לֹא־הֶעֱמַ֥דְתִּי בַשְּׁעָרִֽים׃

Now it happened, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it; (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates; )

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

that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together at Ha-Kephirim in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me.

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

I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can't come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?"

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

They sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them the same way.

5 וַיִּשְׁלַח֩ אֵלַ֨י סַנְבַלַּ֜ט כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֛ה פַּ֥עַם חֲמִישִׁ֖ית אֶֽת־נַעֲר֑וֹ וְאִגֶּ֥רֶת פְּתוּחָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,

6 כָּת֣וּב בָּ֗הּ בַּגּוֹיִ֤ם נִשְׁמָע֙ וְגַשְׁמ֣וּ אֹמֵ֔ר אַתָּ֤ה וְהַיְּהוּדִים֙ חֹשְׁבִ֣ים לִמְר֔וֹד עַל־כֵּ֛ן אַתָּ֥ה בוֹנֶ֖ה הַחוֹמָ֑ה וְאַתָּ֗ה הֹוֶ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְמֶ֔לֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

in which was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words.

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

You have also appointed prophets to preach of you at Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah.' Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together."

8 וָאֶשְׁלְחָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹ֤א נִֽהְיָה֙ כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַתָּ֣ה אוֹמֵ֑ר כִּ֥י מִֽלִּבְּךָ֖ אַתָּ֥ה בוֹדָֽאם׃

Then I sent to him, saying, "There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart."

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

For they all would have made us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done. But now, strengthen my hands."

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

I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, "Let us meet together in God's house, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you; yes, in the night will they come to kill you."

11 וָאֹמְרָ֗ה הַאִ֤ישׁ כָּמ֙וֹנִי֙ יִבְרָ֔ח וּמִ֥י כָמ֛וֹנִי אֲשֶׁר־יָב֥וֹא אֶל־הַהֵיכָ֖ל וָחָ֑י לֹ֖א אָבֽוֹא׃

I said, "Should such a man as I flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."

12 וָאַכִּ֕ירָה וְהִנֵּ֥ה לֹֽא־אֱלֹהִ֖ים שְׁלָח֑וֹ כִּ֤י הַנְּבוּאָה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר עָלַ֔י וְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה וְסַנְבַלַּ֖ט שְׂכָרֽוֹ׃

I discerned, and look, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

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

He hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an unfavorable report, that they might taunt me.

14 זָכְרָ֧ה אֱלֹהַ֛י לְטוֹבִיָּ֥ה וּלְסַנְבַלַּ֖ט כְּמַעֲשָׂ֣יו אֵ֑לֶּה וְגַ֨ם לְנוֹעַדְיָ֤ה הַנְּבִיאָה֙ וּלְיֶ֣תֶר הַנְּבִיאִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֖וּ מְיָֽרְאִ֥ים אוֹתִֽי׃

"Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear."

15 וַתִּשְׁלַם֙ הַֽחוֹמָ֔ה בְּעֶשְׂרִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה לֶאֱל֑וּל לַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּשְׁנַ֖יִם יֽוֹם׃ פ

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

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

And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the surrounding nations saw it, that they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work was done by our God

17 גַּ֣ם ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם מַרְבִּ֞ים חֹרֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ אִגְּרֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם הוֹלְכ֖וֹת עַל־טוֹבִיָּ֑ה וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לְטוֹבִיָּ֖ה בָּא֥וֹת אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

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

18 כִּי־רַבִּ֣ים בִּֽיהוּדָ֗ה בַּעֲלֵ֤י שְׁבוּעָה֙ ל֔וֹ כִּי־חָתָ֥ן ה֖וּא לִשְׁכַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אָרַ֑ח וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֣ן בְּנ֔וֹ לָקַ֕ח אֶת־בַּת־מְשֻׁלָּ֖ם בֶּ֥ן בֶּֽרֶכְיָֽה׃

For there were many in Judah sworn to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife.

19 גַּ֣ם טוֹבֹתָ֗יו הָי֤וּ אֹמְרִים֙ לְפָנַ֔י וּדְבָרַ֕י הָי֥וּ מוֹצִיאִ֖ים ל֑וֹ אִגְּר֛וֹת שָׁלַ֥ח טוֹבִיָּ֖ה לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃

Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.