1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),2 that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do evil to me.3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?4 But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.6 In it was written: It is reported among the nations, and Geshem says, that you and the Jews plan to rebel; for which reason, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the wall, that you may be their king.7 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah! Now these matters will be reported to the king. So come, therefore, and let us consult together.8 Then I sent to him, saying, No such things as you say are being done, but you contrive them out of your own heart.9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was under restraints; and he said, Let us gather in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!12 Then I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he had spoken this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and do accordingly and sin, to make for a bad reputation, that they might reproach me.14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these works of theirs, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who were terrifying me.15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days.16 And it came to pass when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work had been done by our God.17 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and those from Tobiah came to them.18 For many in Judah were pledged to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken in marriage the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.19 They also reported his good deeds before me, and were delivering my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.

1 Forsothe it was doon, whanne Sanaballath hadde herd, and Tobie, and Gosem of Arabie, and oure other enemyes, that Y hadde bildide the wal, and nomore brekyng was therynne; sotheli `til to that tyme Y hadde not set leeuys of schittyng in the yatis;2 Sanaballath, and Tobie, and Gosem of Arabie senten to me, and seiden, Come thou, and smyte we boond of pees in calues, `in o feeld; forsothe thei thouyten for to do yuel to me.3 Therfor Y sente messangeris to hem, and Y seide, Y make a greet werk, and Y mai not go doun, lest perauenture it be doon retchelesli, whanne Y come, and go doun to you.4 Sotheli thei senten to me `bi this word bi foure tymes, and Y answeride to hem by the formere word.5 And Sanaballath sente to me the fyuethe tyme bi the formere word his child; and he hadde in his hond a pistle writun in this maner;6 It is herd among hethene men, and Gosem seide, that thou and the Jewis thenken for to rebelle, and therfor ye bilden, and thou wolt `reise thee king on hem;7 for which cause also thou hast set profetis, that prechen of thee in Jerusalem, and seien, A king is in Jerusalem; the king schal here these wordis; therfor come thou now, that we take counsel togidere.8 And Y sente to hem, and seide, It is not doon bi these wordis whiche thou spekist; for of thin herte thou makist these thingis.9 Alle these men maden vs aferd, and thouyten that oure hondis schulden ceesse fro werkis, that we schulden reste; for which cause Y coumfortide more myn hond.10 And Y entride priueli in to the hows of Samaie, sone of Dalie, the sone of Methabehel, which seide, Trete we with vs silf in the hows of God, in the myddis of the temple, and close we the yatis of the hows; for thei schulen come to sle thee, `and thei schulen come `bi niyt to sle thee.11 And Y seide, Whether ony man lijk me fledde, and who as Y schal entre in to the temple, and schal lyue?12 Y schal not entre. And Y vndurstood that God `hadde not sent hym, but `he spak as profesiynge to me; and Tobie and Sanaballath `hadden hirid hym for meede.13 For he hadde take prijs, that Y schulde be aferd, and do, and that Y schulde do synne; and thei schulden haue yuel, which thei schulden putte to me with schenschip.14 Lord, haue mynde of me, for Tobye and Sanaballath, bi siche werkis `of hem; but also of Noadie, the profete, and of othere profetis, that maden me aferd.15 Forsothe the wal was fillid in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe Ebul, in two and fifti daies.16 Sotheli it was doon, whanne alle oure enemyes hadden herd, that alle hethene men dredden, that weren in oure cumpas, and thei felden doun with ynne hem silf, and wiste, that this work was maad of God.17 But also in tho daies many pistlis of the principal men of Jewis weren sent to Tobie, and camen fro Tobie to hem.18 For many men weren in Judee, and hadden his ooth; for he hadde weddid the douyter of Sechenye, the sone of Rotel; and Johannam, his sone, hadde take the douyter of Mosallam, sone of Barachie.19 But also thei preisiden hym bifor me, and telden my wordis to hym; and Tobie sente lettris, for to make me aferd.