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Kur Sanballati, Tobiahu dhe Geshem Arabi dhe armiqtë tanë të tjerë mësuan që unë kisha rindërtuar muret dhe që nuk kishte mbetur asnjë e çarë në to (megjithëse atëherë nuk i kisha vënë akoma kanatet e portave),

Sanballati dhe Geshemi më çuan për të thënë: "Eja dhe takohemi bashkë me një nga fshatrat e luginës së Onos". Por ata mendonin të ma punonin.

Kështu unë u dërgova atyre lajmëtarë për t’u thënë: "Jam duke bërë një punë të madhe dhe nuk mund të zbres. Pse duhet ta ndërpresim punën, kur unë po e lë për të zbritur tek ju?".

Plot katër herë ata më çuan njerëz për të thënë të njëjtën gjë, dhe unë u përgjigja në të njëjtën mënyrë.

Atëherë Sanballati më dërgoi shërbëtorin e tij që të më thotë po atë gjë për të pestën herë me një letër të hapur në dorë,

në të cilën ishte shkruar: "Éshtë përhapur fjala midis kombeve, dhe Gashmu e pohon këtë, që ti dhe Judejtë po kurdisni një rebelim; prandaj, sipas këtyre zërave, ti po rindërton muret, për t’u bërë mbreti i tyre,

dhe ke caktuar madje profetë për të bërë shpalljen tënde në Jeruzalem, duke thënë: "Ka një mbret në Judë!". Tani, këto gjëra do t’i njoftohen mbretit. Prandaj eja dhe të këshillohemi bashkë".

Por unë i çova për të thënë: "Punët nuk janë ashtu si thua ti, por ti i shpik në mendjen tënde".

Tërë këta njerëz në fakt donin të na trembnin dhe thonin: "Duart e tyre do ta lënë punën që do të mbetet e papërfunduar". Prandaj tani, o Perëndi, forco duart e mia!

10 Atëherë unë shkova në shtëpinë e Shemajahut, birit të Delajahut, që ishte bir i Mehetabeelit, që ishte mbyllur aty brenda; ai më tha: "Takohemi bashkë në shtëpinë e Perëndisë, brenda tempullit, dhe mbyllim portat e tempullit, sepse do të vinë të të vrasin; ata do të vijnë natën të të vrasin".

11 Por unë u përgjigja: "A mundet një njeri si unë të marrë arratinë? A mundet një njeri si unë të hyjë në tempull për të shpëtuar jetën? Jo, unë nuk do të hyj".

12 Kuptova pastaj që Perëndia nuk e kishte dërguar, por kishte shqiptuar atë profeci kundër meje, sepse Tobiahu dhe Sanbalati e kishin paguar.

13 Ishte paguar pikërisht për këtë: për të më trembur dhe për të më shtyrë të veproj në atë mënyrë dhe të mëkatoj, dhe kështu të më dilte një nam i keq dhe të mbulohesha me turp.

14 O Perëndia im, kujtoje Tobiahun dhe Sanbalatin, për këto vepra të tyre, si edhe profeteshën Noadiah dhe profetët e tjerë që kanë kërkuar të më trembin!

15 Muret u përfunduan ditën e njëzetepestë të muajit Elul, brenda pesëdhjetë e dy ditëve.

16 Kur tërë armiqtë tanë e mësuan këtë gjë dhe tërë kombet që na rrethonin e panë, e ndjenë veten shumë të dëshpëruar, sepse e kuptuan që kjo vepër ishte kryer me ndihmën e Perëndisë tonë.

17 Në ato ditë edhe paria e Judës i dërgonte shpesh letra Tobiahut dhe merrte letra prej Tobiahut.

18 Shumë në Judë ishin në fakt të lidhur me të me anë të betimit, sepse ai ishte dhëndër i Shekanijahut, birit të Arahut, dhe biri i tij Jehohanan ishte martuar me bijën e Meshulamit, birit të Berekiahut.

19 Edhe në praninë time ata flisnin mirë për të dhe ia njoftonin fjalët e mia. Dhe Tobiahu dërgonte letra për të më trembur.

Further Opposition to the Rebuilding

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah,(A) Geshem(B) 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— Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages[a] on the plain of Ono.(C)

But they were scheming to harm me; 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?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat(D) sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem[b](E) 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 king 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.”

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

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(F), 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(G) because Tobiah and Sanballat(H) 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.(I)

14 Remember(J) Tobiah and Sanballat,(K) my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet(L) Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets(M) have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Opposition to the Completed Wall

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.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim
  2. Nehemiah 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem

Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.