1 Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me.
3 I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?"
4 They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, 6 in which was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words. 7 You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together."
8 Then I sent to him, saying, "There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart." 9 For they all would have made us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done." But now, strengthen my hands.
10 I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, "Let us meet together in God’s house, within the temple, and let’s shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you."
11 I said, "Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." 12 I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 "Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also 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-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. 17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
1 参巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人基善和我们其余的仇敌听见我重建好了城墙， 城墙再没有破口。不过那时我还没有在城门上装上门扇。
2 参巴拉和基善就差派人来见我说： "请你来， 我们在阿那平原上的一个村庄会面吧！ "其实他们想要谋害我。
3 于是我差派使者去见他们说： "我正在进行大工程， 不能去。我怎能放下这工程， 去见你们， 使这工程停顿呢？"
4 他们连续四次这样差派人来见我， 我都这样回复他们。
5 参巴拉第五次这样差派他的仆人来见我， 手里拿着一封没有封口的信。
6 信上写着： "在各民族中有这样的传说， 迦施慕也说： ‘你和犹大人阴谋造反， 所以你才重建城墙， 据说， 你还想要作他们的王。’
7 你又设立先知在耶路撒冷指着你宣讲， 说： ‘犹大有王了。’现在这些话必会传到王那里。所以请你来， 我们一起商量商量吧。"
8 我就回复他， 说： "你说的这些事不是事实， 都是你从心里捏造出来的。"
9 其实他们众人是在恐吓我们， 心里说： "他们的手必软弱， 不能再作这工程， 不会完工了！ "但我的手更坚定作工。
10 我来到米希大别的孙子、第来雅的儿子示玛雅的家里； 那时， 他闭门不出， 他说： "我们在 神的殿里， 在殿的大堂中会面吧！ 我们要把殿门关起来， 因为他们要来杀你， 在夜间来杀你。"
11 我回答： "像我这样的人， 怎可以逃跑呢？哪有像我这样的人， 进入圣殿里去保全自己的性命呢？我决不进去！ "
12 我看出 神并没有差派他， 是他自己宣讲这话攻击我， 因为多比雅和参巴拉收买了他。
13 他被收买， 是要使我惧怕， 照着他说的去作， 以致犯罪， 他们就破坏我的名声来毁谤我。
14 "我的 神啊， 求你记住多比雅和参巴拉， 按着他们所行的报应他们； 也要报应女先知挪亚底和其余的先知， 因为他们恐吓我。"
15 以禄月二十五日， 城墙建成， 整个工程共用了五十二天。
16 我们所有的仇敌听见了， 我们四围所有的民族都惧怕， 敌人的声势一落千丈， 他们都承认这工程是靠着我们 神的帮助完成的。
17 在这段日子， 犹大人的贵族写了许多信给多比雅， 多比雅也常常回信给他们。
18 在犹大有许多人与多比雅结盟； 因为他是亚拉的儿子、示迦尼的女婿， 并且他的儿子约哈难娶了比利迦的儿子米书兰的女儿为妻。
19 不但这样， 他们也常常在我面前提起多比雅的善行， 又把我说的话传给他； 多比雅又常常寄信来恐吓我。