Nehemiæ 6
1 Factum est autem, cum audisset Sanaballat, et Tobias, et Gossem 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)
Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, 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 miserunt Sanaballat, et Gossem ad me, dicentes: Veni, et percutiamus foedus pariter in vitulis in Campoono. Ipsi autem cogitabant ut facerent mihi malum.
Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me.
3 Misi ergo ad eos nuncios, dicens: Opus grande ego facio, et non possum descendere: ne forte negligatur cum venero, et descendero ad vos.
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 Miserunt autem ad me secundum verbum hoc per quattuor vices: et respondi eis iuxta sermonem priorem.
They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way.
5 Et misit ad me Sanaballat iuxta verbum prius quinta vice puerum suum, et epistolam habebat in manu sua scriptam hoc modo:
Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,
6 IN GENTIBUS auditum est, et Gossem dixit, quod tu et Iudaei cogitetis rebellare, et propterea aedifices murum, et levare te velis super eos regem: propter quam causam
in which was written, “It is reported amongst 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 et prophetas posueris, qui praedicent de te in Ierusalem, dicentes: Rex in Iudaea est. Auditurus est rex verba haec: idcirco nunc veni, ut ineamus consilium pariter.
You have also appointed prophets to proclaim 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’s take counsel together.”
8 Et misi ad eos, dicens: Non est factum secundum verba haec, quae tu loqueris: de corde enim tuo tu componis haec.
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 Omnes enim hi terrebant nos, cogitantes quod cessarent manus nostrae ab opere, et quiesceremus. Quam ob causam magis confortavi manus meas:
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 et ingressus sum domum Semaiae filii Dalaiae filii Metabeel secreto. Qui ait: Tractemus nobiscum in domo Dei in medio templi, et claudamus portas aedis: quia venturi sunt ut interficiant te, et nocte venturi sunt ad occidendum te.
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’s shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you.”
11 Et dixi: Num quisquam similis mei fugit? et quis ut ego ingredietur templum, et vivet? non ingrediar.
I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”
12 Et intellexi quod Deus non misisset eum, sed quasi vaticinans locutus esset ad me, et Tobias, et Sanaballat conduxissent eum.
I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 acceperat enim pretium, ut territus facerem, et peccarem, et haberent malum, quod exprobrarent mihi.
He was hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 Memento mei Domine pro Tobia et Sanaballat, iuxta opera eorum talia: sed et Noadiae prophetae, et ceterorum prophetarum, qui terrebant me.
“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 Completus est autem murus vigesimoquinto die mensis Elul, quinquaginta duobus diebus.
So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 Factum est ergo cum audissent omnes inimici nostri, ut timerent universae gentes, quae erant in circuitu nostro, et conciderent intra semetipsos, et scirent quod a Deo factum esset opus hoc.
When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
17 Sed et in diebus illis multae optimatum Iudaeorum epistolae mittebantur ad Tobiam, et a Tobia veniebant ad eos.
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them.
18 Multi enim erant in Iudaea habentes iuramentum eius, quia gener erat Secheniae filii Area, et Iohanan filius eius acceperat filiam Mosollam filii Barachiae:
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 sed et laudabant eum coram me, et verba mea nunciabant ei: et Tobias mittebat epistolas ut terreret me.
Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
