1 Quando Sambalate ouviu que nós estávamos reconstruindo a muralha, ficou irado e indignado, e começou a zombar dos judeus. 2 Na presença de seus irmãos e do exército de Samaria ele disse:

— O que é que esses judeus fracos estão fazendo? Vocês vão permitir que eles continuem? Será que vão oferecer sacrifícios? Pensam que podem acabar a obra num só dia? Será que as pedras que foram queimadas poderão renascer daqueles montões de pó?

3 Tobias, o amonita, estava com Sambalate e disse:

— Mesmo que reconstruam, se vier uma raposa, derrubará aquela muralha de pedras!

1 But it came to pass, when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, it angered him, and he was greatly displeased,and mocked the Jews;

2 and spake before his brethren, and the army of Samaria, and said, What are, these feeble Jews, doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they bring to life the stones out of the heaps of dust, when, they, have been burned up?

3 Now, Tobiah the Ammonite, was beside him,so he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox should go up, he would break down their stone wall!