Beginning

4 And it was done, when Sanballat had heard, that we builded the wall, he was full wroth, and he was stirred greatly, and he scorned the Jews. (And it was done, when Sanballat heard, that we were rebuilding the wall, he was very angry, and was greatly stirred up, and he scorned the Jews.)

² And he said before his brethren, and the multitude of Samaritans, What do the feeble Jews? Whether heathen men shall suffer them? Whether they shall [ful]fill, and make sacrifice in one day? Whether they may build stones of the heaps of the dust, which be burnt? (And he said before his kinsmen, and the multitude of the Samaritans, What do these feeble Jews think they be doing? Do they think they can rebuild the whole city? Do they believe they can just make a sacrifice, and then finish it all in one day? Can they make stones out of heaps of rubble, which be all burned up?)

³ And also Tobiah (the) Ammonite, his neighbour, said, Build they; if a fox go up, he shall over-leap their stone wall. (And Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, Let them build; for if a fox shall go up there, he shall just leap over their stone wall.)

⁴ And Nehemiah said (in prayer), Our God, hear thou, for we be made despising (for we be despised); turn thou the shame upon their own head(s), and give thou them into despising in the land of captivity;

⁵ cover thou not the wickedness of them, and their sins be not done away before thy face; for they scorned the builders.

⁶ Therefore we builded the wall, and joined together all till to the half part, and the heart of the people was excited to work. (And so we rebuilt the wall, and joined it all together, up to half of its height, and the heart of the people was excited to do this work.)

⁷ And it was done when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Arabians, and Ammonites, and men of Ashdod had heard, that the breaking of the wall of Jerusalem was stopped, and that the crazings had begun to be closed together, they were full wroth. (And when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabs, and the Ammonites, and the men of Ashdod had heard, that the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was progressing, and that the gaps had begun to be closed, they were very angry.)

⁸ And they all were gathered together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cast treasons against it.

⁹ And we prayed the Lord our God, and we setted keepers on the wall day and night against them. (And we prayed to the Lord our God, and we put guards on the wall day and night, to protect against them.)

¹⁰ And Judah said, The strength of the bearer is made feeble, and the earth is full much, and we be not able to build the wall. (But the men of Judah said, The strength of the workers hath become feeble, and there is just too much rubble, and so we cannot rebuild the wall.)

¹¹ And our enemies said, Know they not, and know they not, till we come into the middle of them, and slay them, and make the work to cease. (And our enemies said, Let them know nothing, until we suddenly come into their midst, and kill them all, and stop the work.)

¹² Forsooth it was done, when [the] Jews came, that dwelled beside them, and said to us by ten times, from all places from which they came to us, (And it was done, that the Jews who lived beside them came, and told us ten times, that our enemies would soon be upon us, from all the places from which they had come to us,)

¹³ I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in a place behind the wall by compass. (and so I ordained the people in order, with their swords, and spears, and bows, in places all around behind the wall.)

¹⁴ I beheld, and rose, and said to the principal men, and magistrates, and to the other part of the common people, Do not ye dread of their face; but have ye mind of the great Lord, and fearedful, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, for your wives, and house(hold)s. (And I looked about, and rose up, and said to the leaders, and the magistrates, and to all the people, Do not ye fear them; but instead, think upon, or remember, the great and fearful Lord, and fight ye for your brothers, and your sons, and your daughters, and your wives, and your families, or your kinsmen.)

¹⁵ And it was done, when our enemies had heard that it was told to us, God destroyed their counsel; and then all we turned again to the walls, each man to his work. (And it was done, that our enemies heard that everything had been told to us, and so God destroyed their plans; and then we all returned to rebuilding the wall, each man to his own work.)

¹⁶ And it was done from that day, the half part of the young men made the work, and the half part was ready to battle; and (held) spears, and shields, and bows, and habergeons, and (the) princes after them, in all the house of men of Judah, (And so it was done from that day on, that half the young men did the work, and the other half were ready for battle, and held spears, and shields, and bows, and breastplates; and the leaders supported all the men of the house of Judah,)

¹⁷ building in the wall, and bearing burdens, and putting on; with their one hand they made the work, and with the other they held their sword. (who were rebuilding the wall. And for those carrying the loads, with their one hand they did the work, and with the other hand they held their sword.)

¹⁸ For each of the builders was girded with a sword upon his reins; and they builded the wall, and they sounded with clarions beside me. (And each of the builders was girded with a sword around his waist, as they rebuilt the wall. And the man who sounded with the trumpet was beside me.)

¹⁹ And I said to the principal men, and (to the) magistrates, and to the other part of the common people, The work is great and broad, and we be separated far in the wall, one from another; (And I said to the leaders, and the magistrates, and the rest of the people, The work is great and broad, or spread out, and we all be separated on the wall, one far from another);

²⁰ therefore in whatever place that ye hear [the] sound of the trump (and so whenever ye hear the sound of the trumpet), run ye together thither to us; for our God shall fight for us.

²¹ And we ourselves shall make the work, and the half of us hold we spears, from the going up of the morrowtide till that [the] stars go out. (And so we did the work, and half of us held spears, from the rising of the morning sun until the stars came out.)

²² And in that time I said to the people, Each man with his servant dwell he in the midst of Jerusalem, and whiles be to us by night, and (the) day to work. (And at that time I said to the people, Each man stay he with his servant in the middle of Jerusalem, and be on guard for us by night, and do the work by day.)

²³ But I, and my brethren, and my keepers, and [my] servants, that were (going) after me, did not (put) off our clothes; each man was made naked only to washing. (And I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, and the men who were protecting me, never took off our clothes; each man was made naked only for washing/each of us kept our right hand on our sword at all times.)

5 And great cry of the people and of their wives was made against their brethren Jews. (And later there came a time when a great cry of the people, both men and women, was made against their fellow Jews.)

² And there were (those) that said, Our sons and our daughters be full many; take we wheat for the price of them, and eat we, and live. (And there were those who said, We have sold our sons and our daughters for corn, or for grain, so that we could eat, and stay alive.)

³ Also there were (others) that said, Set we forth to sale our fields, and vineries, and our houses, and take we wheat to eat in this hunger. (And there were others who said, We have sold our fields, and our vineyards, and our houses, so we could get corn, or grain, to eat during this famine.)

⁴ And other men said, Take we money by borrowing, for usury, into the tributes of the king, and give our fields and vineries. (And still others said, We have borrowed money with interest, against our fields and our vineyards, so we could pay the tributes, or the taxes, to the king.)

⁵ And now as the fleshes of our brethren be, so and our fleshes be; and as be the sons of them, so and our sons be; lo! we have made subject our sons and our daughters into servage, and servantesses be (made) of our daughters, and we have not whereof they may be again-bought; and other men have in possession our fields, and our vineries. (And now though our flesh be like the flesh of our kinsmen, and our sons be like their sons; lo! we have subjected our sons and our daughters to servitude, or slavery, and some of our daughters be made slave-girls; and we have not whereof to buy them back, for now others possess our fields, and our vineyards.)

⁶ And I was full wroth, when I had heard the cry of them by these words. (And I was very angry, when I had heard their outcry over these matters.)

⁷ And mine heart thought with(in) me, and I blamed the principal men, and magistrates; and I said to them, Ask ye not usuries, or increase, each man of your brethren (And I thought in my heart within me, and I rebuked the leaders, and the magistrates; and I said to them, Ye should not ask for usury, or unfair interest, from your kinsmen). And I gathered together a great company against them,

⁸ and I said to them, As ye know, we have by our power again-bought our brethren Jews, that were sold to heathen men; and ye now sell your brethren, and shall we again-buy them of you? And they held silence, and found not what they should answer. (and I said to them, As ye know, by our power we have bought back our fellow Jews, who were sold to the heathen; but now your own kinsmen must sell themselves to you, and so now do we have to buy them back from you? And they held their peace, and found not what they should answer.)

⁹ And I said to them, It is not (a) good thing, that ye do; why go ye not in the dread of our God, and reproof be not said to us of heathen men, our enemies? (And I said to them, It is not good what ye have done; why do ye not go in the fear of our God? and then rebuke would not be said to us by our enemies, the heathen.)

¹⁰ Both I, and my brethren, and my servants, have lent to full many men money and wheat; in common, ask we not (for) this again; but forgive we alien money, or usury, which is due to us. (I, and my kinsmen, and my servants, have lent money and corn to a great many people; let us agree together that we shall not ask for any of this back; and let us forget about the interest, which is due to us.)

¹¹ And again yield ye to them to day their fields, and their vineries, their olive places, and their houses; and rather, give ye for them the hundred part of money, and of wheat, of wine, and of oil, which ye were wont to take of them. (And today, give ye back to them their fields, and their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses; and give ye back to them the money, and the corn, the wine, and the oil, which ye were wont to take from them.)

¹² And they said, We shall yield their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing of them; and we shall do so as thou speakest. And I called the priests, and I made them to swear, that they should do after this, that I had said. (And they said, We shall give back their goods to them, and we shall ask nothing from them; and we shall do as thou sayest. And I called for the priests, and I made them swear before the priests, that they would do as they had promised.)

¹³ And furthermore I shook my bosom, and I said, So (may) God shake away each man from his house, and from his travails, that fulfilleth not this word; and be he shaken away, and be he made void. And all the multitude said, Amen; and they praised God. And the people did, as it was said (And all the people/And all the leaders did, as they had promised).

¹⁴ Forsooth from that day in which the king had commanded to me, that I should be duke in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes (the) king, that is, by twelve years, I and my brethren ate not the sustenances which were due to dukes. (And from the day in which the king had commanded me, that I should be the governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year unto the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, that is, for twelve years, I and my kinsmen did not take the sustenances, that is, the food allowances, which were due to the governor.)

¹⁵ But the first dukes, that were before me, grieved the people, and took of them in bread, and wine, and money, each day forty shekels; and also their ministers oppressed the people. But I did not so, for the dread of God; (But the former governors, who were there before me, grieved the people, and took from them bread, and wine, and money, forty shekels worth, each day; and their servants, and their officers, also oppressed the people. But I did not do so, for the fear of God/because of my reverence for God;)

¹⁶ but rather I subjected myself, and I builded in the work of the wall (and I helped rebuild the wall), and I bought no field, and all my servants were gathered together with me to (do) the work.

¹⁷ Also [the] Jews and the magistrates of them, an hundred and fifty men, and they that came to me from heathen men, that be in our compass, were eating in my table. (And some of the Jews and their magistrates, a hundred and fifty men, and also some of the heathen, who came to me from all around us, ate at my table.)

¹⁸ Forsooth by each day one ox was made ready to me, six chosen wethers, besides volatiles, and within ten days diverse wines; and I gave many other things; furthermore and I asked not (for) the sustenances of my duchy; for the people was made full poor. (And each day an ox, and six chosen sheep, and fowls, were provided by me, and every ten days, a new supply of wine; and I gave many other things as well; and furthermore I did not ask for the governor’s allowance, to which I was entitled, because the people were already so poor.)

¹⁹ My God, have thou mind on me into good, by all things which I have done to this people. (My God, remember me, for all the good things which I have done for these people.)

6 Forsooth it was done, when Sanballat had heard, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia, and our other enemies, that I had builded (again) the wall, and no more breaking was therein; and unto that time I had not set up the leaves of shutting of the gates; (And it was done, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab, and all our other enemies had heard, that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no longer any breaks in it; although until that time I had not put up the leaves for shutting the gates;)

² and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia sent to me, and said, Come thou into a field, and smite we bond of peace in (one of the) villages; certainly they thought to do evil to me. (and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab sent word to me, and said, Come thou, and strike we a covenant, in one of the villages on the Plain of Ono; but truly they thought to do evil to me.)

³ Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore (And so I sent messengers to them, and I said, I am doing important work here, and so I cannot go down there), lest peradventure it be done recklessly/lest peradventure it be done negligently, when I come, and go down to you.

⁴ Soothly they sent to me by this word by four times, and I answered to them by the former word. (And they sent this request to me four times, and each time I answered to them what I had said before.)

⁵ And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his servant; and he had in his hand a letter, (And the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same request; and he had a letter in his hand,)

⁶ written in this manner; It is heard among heathen men, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews think for to rebel, and therefore ye build (again) the wall, and thou wilt raise thee (up as) king on them; (written in this manner; It is heard among the heathen, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews plan to rebel, and so ye rebuild the wall, and soon thou wilt raise thyself up as a king over them;)

⁷ for which cause also thou hast set prophets, which preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, A king is in Jerusalem; the king shall hear these words; therefore come thou now, that we take counsel together. (for which reason thou hast also set forth prophets, who preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, There is a new king in Judah; the king shall hear of these words; and so come thou now, so that we can take counsel about this matter together.)

⁸ And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for (out) of thine own heart thou makest these things (up).

⁹ All these men made us afeared, and thought that our hands should cease from our works, and that we should rest from building; for which cause I strengthened more mine hand thereto (and for this reason I applied myself even more strongly to the task at hand).

¹⁰ And I entered privily into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, which said to me, (Re)Treat we there with ourselves in(to) the house of God, in(to) the midst of the temple, and close we the gates of the house; for they shall come to slay thee, yea, by (the) night they shall come to slay thee. (And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who was enclosed, or confined, there, and he said to me, Let us go to the House of God, into the middle of the Temple, and lock all the doors of the House; for they shall come to kill thee, yea, in the night they shall come to kill thee.)

¹¹ And I said, Whether any man like to me, that is, trusting so to God, as I do, hath fled for such a thing, and who as I shall enter into the temple, and shall live, or be saved there? I will not enter [in] thither. (And I said, Hath any man like me, who trusteth in God, like I do, fled for such a reason, or would anyone like me, enter into the Temple to save his own life? I will not go there.)

¹² And I understood that God had not sent him, but he spake as prophesying to me; and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him for meed. (And then I understood that God had not sent him, but that he only spoke as if prophesying to me; and that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him to say it.)

¹³ For he had taken price, that I should be afeared, and do their will, and that I should do sin; and they should have evil (against me), which they should put to me with shame. (For he had taken money from them, to make me afraid, so that I would do their will, and that I would sin; and then they would have evil to put against me, which they would put on me for my shame.)

¹⁴ Lord, have mind of me, for Tobiah and Sanballat, by such works of them; but also of Noadiah, the prophet(ess), and of other prophets, that have made me afeared. (Lord, remember Tobiah, and Sanballat, for all their evil works; and also Noadiah, the prophetess, and the other prophets, who have made me afraid.)

¹⁵ And the wall was ended in the five and twentieth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, in two and fifty days. (And so the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, that is, August, after only fifty-two days of rebuilding.)

¹⁶ And it was done, when all our enemies had heard, that all [the] heathen men dreaded us, that were in our compass, and they felled down within themselves, and they knew then, that this work was made of God. (And it was done, when all our enemies had heard of this, then all the heathen, who were all around us, feared us, and they fell down within themselves, for they knew then, that this work was done with God’s help.)

¹⁷ But also in those days many letters of the principal men of (the) Jews were sent to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them. (And also in those days many letters were sent from the leaders of the Jews to Tobiah, and came from Tobiah to them.)

¹⁸ For many men were in Judah, that had his oath, that is, (who) were sworn to him; for he had wedded the daughter of Shechaniah, the son of Arah; and Johanan, his son, had taken the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.

¹⁹ But also they praised him before me, and told my words to him; and Tobiah sent letters, to make me afeared. (And so they praised him in front of me, and told him all my words, or what I had said; and Tobiah also sent letters to me, to make me afraid.)