1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it —though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates —2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages "on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me;3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?"4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter6 in which was written: "It is reported among the nations —and Geshem "says it is true —that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together."8 I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head."9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you —by night they are coming to kill you."11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them.18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

1 ولما سمع سنبلّط وطوبيا وجشم العربي وبقية اعدائنا اني قد بنيت السور ولم تبق فيه ثغرة. على اني لم اكن الى ذلك الوقت قد اقمت مصاريع للابواب.2 ارسل سنبلط وجشم اليّ قائلين هلم نجتمع معا في القرى في بقعة اونو. وكانا يفكران ان يعملا بي شرا.3 فارسلت اليهما رسلا قائلا اني انا عامل عملا عظيما فلا اقدر ان انزل. لماذا يبطل العمل بينما اتركه وانزل اليكما.4 وارسلا اليّ بمثل هذا الكلام اربع مرات وجاوبتهما بمثل هذا الجواب.5 فارسل اليّ سنبلط بمثل هذا الكلام مرة خامسة مع غلامه برسالة منشورة بيده مكتوب فيها6 قد سمع بين الامم وجشم يقول انك انت واليهود تفكرون ان تتمردوا لذلك انت تبني السور لتكون لهم ملكا حسب هذه الامور.7 وقد اقمت ايضا انبياء لينادوا بك في اورشليم قائلين في يهوذا ملك. والآن يخبر الملك بهذا الكلام. فهلم الآن نتشاور معا.8 فارسلت اليه قائلا لا يكون مثل هذا الكلام الذي تقوله بل انما انت مختلقه من قلبك.9 لانهم كانوا جميعا يخيفوننا قائلين قد ارتخت ايديهم عن العمل فلا يعمل. فالآن يا الهي شدّد يديّ10 ودخلت بيت شمعيا بن دلايا بن مهيطبئيل وهو مغلق فقال لنجتمع الى بيت الله الى وسط الهيكل ونقفل ابواب الهيكل لانهم يأتون ليقتلوك. في الليل يأتون ليقتلوك.11 فقلت أرجل مثلي يهرب ومن مثلي يدخل الهيكل فيحيا. لا ادخل.12 فتحققت وهوذا لم يرسله الله لانه تكلم بالنبوة عليّ وطوبيا وسنبلّط قد استأجراه.13 لاجل هذا قد استؤجر لكي اخاف وافعل هكذا واخطئ فيكون لهما خبر رديء لكي يعيراني.14 اذكر يا الهي طوبيا وسنبلّط حسب اعمالهما هذه ونوعدية النبية وباقي الانبياء الذين يخيفونني15 وكمل السور في الخامس والعشرين من ايلول في اثنين وخمسين يوما.16 ولما سمع كل اعدائنا ورأى جميع الامم الذين حوالينا سقطوا كثيرا في اعين انفسهم وعلموا انه من قبل الهنا عمل هذا العمل.17 وايضا في تلك الايام اكثر عظماء يهوذا توارد رسائلهم على طوبيا ومن عند طوبيا اتت الرسائل اليهم.18 لان كثيرين في يهوذا كانوا اصحاب حلف له لانه صهر شكنيا بن آرح ويهوحانان ابنه اخذ بنت مشلام بن برخيا.19 وكانوا ايضا يخبرون امامي بحسناته وكانوا يبلغون كلامي اليه. وارسل طوبيا رسائل ليخوّفني