1 参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人基善和我们其余的仇敌听见我重建好了城墙， 城墙再没有破口。不过那时我还没有在城门上装上门扇。 2 参巴拉和基善就差派人来见我说： "请你来， 我们在阿那平原上的一个村庄会面吧！ "其实他们想要谋害我。 3 于是我差派使者去见他们说： "我正在进行大工程， 不能去。我怎能放下这工程， 去见你们， 使这工程停顿呢？" 4 他们连续四次这样差派人来见我， 我都这样回复他们。 5 参巴拉第五次这样差派他的仆人来见我， 手里拿着一封没有封口的信。 6 信上写着： "在各民族中有这样的传说， 迦施慕也说： ‘你和犹大人阴谋造反， 所以你才重建城墙， 据说， 你还想要作他们的王。’ 7 你又设立先知在耶路撒冷指着你宣讲， 说： ‘犹大有王了。’现在这些话必会传到王那里。所以请你来， 我们一起商量商量吧。" 8 我就回复他， 说： "你说的这些事不是事实， 都是你从心里捏造出来的。" 9 其实他们众人是在恐吓我们， 心里说： "他们的手必软弱， 不能再作这工程， 不会完工了！ "但我的手更坚定作工。 10 我来到米希大别的孙子、第来雅的儿子示玛雅的家里； 那时， 他闭门不出， 他说： "我们在 神的殿里， 在殿的大堂中会面吧！ 我们要把殿门关起来， 因为他们要来杀你， 在夜间来杀你。" 11 我回答： "像我这样的人， 怎可以逃跑呢？哪有像我这样的人， 进入圣殿里去保全自己的性命呢？我决不进去！ " 12 我看出 神并没有差派他， 是他自己宣讲这话攻击我， 因为多比雅和参巴拉收买了他。 13 他被收买， 是要使我惧怕， 照着他说的去作， 以致犯罪， 他们就破坏我的名声来毁谤我。 14 "我的 神啊， 求你记住多比雅和参巴拉， 按着他们所行的报应他们； 也要报应女先知挪亚底和其余的先知， 因为他们恐吓我。" 15 以禄月二十五日， 城墙建成， 整个工程共用了五十二天。 16 我们所有的仇敌听见了， 我们四围所有的民族都惧怕， 敌人的声势一落千丈， 他们都承认这工程是靠着我们 神的帮助完成的。 17 在这段日子， 犹大人的贵族写了许多信给多比雅， 多比雅也常常回信给他们。 18 在犹大有许多人与多比雅结盟； 因为他是亚拉的儿子、示迦尼的女婿， 并且他的儿子约哈难娶了比利迦的儿子米书兰的女儿为妻。 19 不但这样， 他们也常常在我面前提起多比雅的善行， 又把我说的话传给他； 多比雅又常常寄信来恐吓我。

1 And it cometh to pass, when it hath been heard by Sanballat, and Tobiah, and by Geshem the Arabian, and by the rest of our enemies, that I have builded the wall, and there hath not been left in it a breach, (also, till that time the doors I had not set up in the gates,)2 that Sanballat sendeth, also Geshem, unto me, saying, `Come and we meet together in the villages, in the valley of Ono;` and they are thinking to do to me evil.3 And I send unto them messengers, saying, `A great work I am doing, and I am not able to come down; why doth the work cease when I let it alone, and have come down unto you?`4 and they send unto me, according to this word, four times, and I return them [word] according to this word.5 And Sanballat sendeth unto me, according to this word, a fifth time, his servant, and an open letter in his hand;6 it is written in it, `Among the nations it hath been heard, and Gashmu is saying: Thou and the Jews are thinking to rebel, therefore thou art building the wall, and thou hast been to them for a king -- according to these words!7 And also, prophets thou hast appointed to call for thee in Jerusalem, saying, A king [is] in Judah, and now it is heard by the king according to these words; and now come, and we take counsel together.`8 And I send unto him, saying, `It hath not been according to these words that thou art saying, for from thine own heart thou art devising them;`9 for all of them are making us afraid, saying, `Their hands are too feeble for the work, and it is not done;` and now, strengthen Thou my hands.10 And I have entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel -- and he is restrained -- and he saith, `Let us meet at the house of God, at the inside of the temple, and we shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming in to slay thee -- yea, by night they are coming in to slay thee.`11 And I say, `A man such as I -- doth he flee? and who as I, that doth go in unto the temple, and live? -- I do not go in.`12 And I discern, and lo, God hath not sent him, for in the prophecy he hath spoken unto me both Tobiah and Sanballat hired him,13 so that he [is] an hireling, that I may fear and do so, and I had sinned, and it had been to them for an evil name that they may reproach me.14 Be mindful, O my God, of Tobiah, and of Sanballat, according to these his works, and also, of Noadiah the prophetess, and of the rest of the prophets who have been making me afraid.15 And the wall is completed in the twenty and fifth of Elul, on the fifty and second day;16 and it cometh to pass, when all our enemies have heard, and all the nations who are round about us see, that they fall greatly in their own eyes, and know that by our God hath this work been done.17 Also, in those days the freemen of Judah are multiplying their letters going unto Tobiah, and those of Tobiah are coming in unto them;18 for many in Judah are sworn to him, for he [is] son-in-law to Shechaniah son of Arah, and Jehohanan his son hath taken the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah;19 also, his good deeds they have been saying before me, and my words they have been taking out to him; letters hath Tobiah sent to make me afraid.