נחמיה 6

1 וַיְהִי כַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁמַע לְסַנְבַלַּט וְטוֹבִיָּה וּלְגֶשֶׁם הָֽעַרְבִי וּלְיֶתֶר אֹֽיְבֵינוּ כִּי בָנִיתִי אֶת־הַחוֹמָה וְלֹא־נוֹתַר בָּהּ פָּרֶץ גַּם עַד־הָעֵת הַהִיא דְּלָתוֹת לֹא־הֶעֱמַדְתִּי בַשְּׁעָרִֽים׃

And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall, and that there were no more breaches therein, (though at that time I had not set vp the doores vpon the gates)

2 וַיִּשְׁלַח סַנְבַלַּט וְגֶשֶׁם אֵלַי לֵאמֹר לְכָה וְנִֽוָּעֲדָה יַחְדָּו בַּכְּפִירִים בְּבִקְעַת אוֹנוֹ וְהֵמָּה חֹֽשְׁבִים לַעֲשׂוֹת לִי רָעָֽה׃

Then sent Sanballat and Geshem vnto me, saying, Come thou that we may meete together in the villages in the plaine of Ono: and they thought to doe me euill.

3 וָאֶשְׁלְחָה עֲלֵיהֶם מַלְאָכִים לֵאמֹר מְלָאכָה גְדוֹלָה אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה וְלֹא אוּכַל לָרֶדֶת לָמָּה תִשְׁבַּת הַמְּלָאכָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַרְפֶּהָ וְיָרַדְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Therefore I sent messengers vnto them, saying, I haue a great worke to doe, and I can not come downe: why should the worke cease, whiles I leaue it, and come downe to you?

4 וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלַי כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה אַרְבַּע פְּעָמִים וָאָשִׁיב אוֹתָם כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּֽה׃

Yet they sent vnto me foure times after this sort. And I answered them after the same maner.

5 וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלַי סַנְבַלַּט כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה פַּעַם חֲמִישִׁית אֶֽת־נַעֲרוֹ וְאִגֶּרֶת פְּתוּחָה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Then sent Sanballat his seruant after this sorte vnto me the fift time, with an open letter in his hand,

6 כָּתוּב בָּהּ בַּגּוֹיִם נִשְׁמָע וְגַשְׁמוּ אֹמֵר אַתָּה וְהַיְּהוּדִים חֹשְׁבִים לִמְרוֹד עַל־כֵּן אַתָּה בוֹנֶה הַחוֹמָה וְאַתָּה הֹוֶה לָהֶם לְמֶלֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃

Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu hath sayd it, that thou and the Iewes thinke to rebel, for the which cause thou buildest the wall and thou wilt bee their King according to these wordes.

7 וְגַם־נְבִיאִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ לִקְרֹא עָלֶיךָ בִֽירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר מֶלֶךְ בִּֽיהוּדָה וְעַתָּה יִשָּׁמַע לַמֶּלֶךְ כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְעַתָּה לְכָה וְנִֽוָּעֲצָה יַחְדָּֽו׃

Thou hast also ordeyned the Prophets to preach of thee at Ierusalem, saying, There is a King in Iudah: and nowe according to these wordes it shall come to the Kings eares: come now therefore, and let vs take counsell together.

8 וָאֶשְׁלְחָה אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר לֹא נִֽהְיָה כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר כִּי מִֽלִּבְּךָ אַתָּה בוֹדָֽאם׃

Then I sent vnto him, saying, It is not done according to these wordes that thou sayest: for thou feynest them of thine owne heart.

9 כִּי כֻלָּם מְיָֽרְאִים אוֹתָנוּ לֵאמֹר יִרְפּוּ יְדֵיהֶם מִן־הַמְּלָאכָה וְלֹא תֵעָשֶׂה וְעַתָּה חַזֵּק אֶת־יָדָֽי׃

For all they afrayed vs, saying, Their handes shalbe weakened from the worke, and it shall not be done: nowe therefore incourage thou me.

10 וַאֲנִי־בָאתִי בֵּית שְֽׁמַֽעְיָה בֶן־דְּלָיָה בֶּן־מְהֵֽיטַבְאֵל וְהוּא עָצוּר וַיֹּאמֶר נִוָּעֵד אֶל־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַֽהֵיכָל וְנִסְגְּרָה דַּלְתוֹת הַהֵיכָל כִּי בָּאִים לְהָרְגֶךָ וְלַיְלָה בָּאִים לְהָרְגֶֽךָ׃

And I came to the house of Shemaiah the sonne of Delaiah the sonne of Mehetabeel, and he was shut vp, and he said, Let vs come together into the house of God in the middes of the Temple, and shut the doores of the Temple: for they will come to slay thee: yea, in the night will they come to kill thee.

11 וָאֹמְרָה הַאִישׁ כָּמוֹנִי יִבְרָח וּמִי כָמוֹנִי אֲשֶׁר־יָבוֹא אֶל־הַהֵיכָל וָחָי לֹא אָבֽוֹא׃

Then I said, Should such a man as I, flee? Who is he, being as I am, that would go into the Temple to liue? I will not goe in.

12 וָאַכִּירָה וְהִנֵּה לֹֽא־אֱלֹהִים שְׁלָחוֹ כִּי הַנְּבוּאָה דִּבֶּר עָלַי וְטוֹבִיָּה וְסַנְבַלַּט שְׂכָרֽוֹ׃

And loe, I perceiued, that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecie against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 לְמַעַן שָׂכוּר הוּא לְמַֽעַן־אִירָא וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה־כֵּן וְחָטָאתִי וְהָיָה לָהֶם לְשֵׁם רָע לְמַעַן יְחָֽרְפֽוּנִי׃

Therefore was he hyred, that I might be afrayde, and doe thus, and sinne, and that they might haue an euill report that they might reproche me.

14 זָכְרָה אֱלֹהַי לְטוֹבִיָּה וּלְסַנְבַלַּט כְּמַעֲשָׂיו אֵלֶּה וְגַם לְנוֹעַדְיָה הַנְּבִיאָה וּלְיֶתֶר הַנְּבִיאִים אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ מְיָֽרְאִים אוֹתִֽי׃

My God, remember thou Tobiah, and Sanballat according vnto these their workes, and Noadiah the Prophetesse also, and the rest of the Prophets that would haue put me in feare.

15 וַתִּשְׁלַם הַֽחוֹמָה בְּעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה לֶאֱלוּל לַחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם יֽוֹם׃

Notwithstanding the wall was finished on the fiue and twentieth day of Elul, in two and fiftie dayes.

16 וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר שָֽׁמְעוּ כָּל־אוֹיְבֵינוּ וַיִּֽרְאוּ כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִֽיבֹתֵינוּ וַיִּפְּלוּ מְאֹד בְּעֵינֵיהֶם וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי מֵאֵת אֱלֹהֵינוּ נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַמְּלָאכָה הַזֹּֽאת׃

And when all our enemies heard thereof, euen all the heathen that were about vs, they were afraid, and their courage failed them: for they knew, that this worke was wrought by our God.

17 גַּם ׀ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם מַרְבִּים חֹרֵי יְהוּדָה אִגְּרֹתֵיהֶם הוֹלְכוֹת עַל־טוֹבִיָּה וַאֲשֶׁר לְטוֹבִיָּה בָּאוֹת אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

And in these dayes were there many of the princes of Iudah, whose letters went vnto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah came vnto them.

18 כִּי־רַבִּים בִּֽיהוּדָה בַּעֲלֵי שְׁבוּעָה לוֹ כִּי־חָתָן הוּא לִשְׁכַנְיָה בֶן־אָרַח וִֽיהוֹחָנָן בְּנוֹ לָקַח אֶת־בַּת־מְשֻׁלָּם בֶּן בֶּֽרֶכְיָֽה׃

For there were many in Iudah, that were sworne vnto him: for he was the sonne in lawe of Shechaniah, the sonne of Arah: and his sonne Iehonathan had the daughter of Meshullam, the sonne of Berechiah.

19 גַּם טוֹבֹתָיו הָיוּ אֹמְרִים לְפָנַי וּדְבָרַי הָיוּ מוֹצִיאִים לוֹ אִגְּרוֹת שָׁלַח טוֹבִיָּה לְיָֽרְאֵֽנִי׃

Yea, they spake in his praise before me, and tolde him my wordes, and Tobiah sent letters to put me in feare.