It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַאֲשֶׁרit was heardנִשְׁמַעby Sanballatלְסַנְבַלַּטand Tobiah,וְטוֹבִיָּהand by Geshemוּלְגֶשֶׁםthe Arabהָעַרְבִיand by the restוּלְיֶתֶרof our enemiesאֹיְבֵינוּthatכִּיI had builtבָנִיתִיthe wallהַחוֹמָהand noוְלֹאbreachפָּרֶץwas leftנוֹתַרin itבָּהּ—thoughגַּםup toעַדthatהַהִיאtimeהָעֵתI had notלֹאset upהֶעֱמַדְתִּיdoorsדְּלָתוֹתin the gates—בַשְּׁעָרִים
Sanballatסַנְבַלַּטand Geshemוְגֶשֶׁםsentוַיִּשְׁלַחto me,אֵלַיsaying,לֵאמֹר“Come,לְכָהand let us meetוְנִוָּעֲדָהtogetherיַחְדָּוin the villagesבַּכְּפִירִיםin the plainבְּבִקְעַתof Ono.”אוֹנוֹBut theyוְהֵמָּהwere planningחֹשְׁבִיםto doלַעֲשׂוֹתmeלִיharm.רָעָה
So I sentוָאֶשְׁלְחָהmessengersמַלְאָכִיםto them,עֲלֵיהֶםsaying,לֵאמֹר“A greatגְדוֹלָהworkמְלָאכָהIאֲנִיam doing,עֹשֶׂהand I cannotוְלֹא אוּכַלcome down.לָרֶדֶתWhyלָמָּהshould the workהַמְּלָאכָהceaseתִשְׁבַּתwhileכַּאֲשֶׁרI leave itאַרְפֶּהָand come downוְיָרַדְתִּיto you?”אֲלֵיכֶם
They sentוַיִּשְׁלְחוּto meאֵלַיaccording to this wordכַּדָּבָר הַזֶּהfourאַרְבַּעtimes,פְּעָמִיםand I repliedוָאָשִׁיבto themאוֹתָםaccording to this word.כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה
And Sanballatוַ סַנְבַלַּטsentיִּשְׁלַחto meאֵלַיaccording to this wordכַּדָּבָר הַזֶּהa fifthחֲמִישִׁיתtimeפַּעַםhis young manנַעֲרוֹwith anוְopenפְּתוּחָהletterאִגֶּרֶתin his hand.בְּיָדוֹ
In it was written,כָּתוּב בָּהּ“Among the nationsבַּגּוֹיִםit has been heard,נִשְׁמָעand Gashmuוְגַשְׁמוּsays it:אֹמֵרyouאַתָּהand the Jewsוְהַיְּהוּדִיםare planningחֹשְׁבִיםto rebel;לִמְרוֹדthereforeעַל כֵּןyouאַתָּהare buildingבוֹנֶהthe wall;הַחוֹמָהand youוְאַתָּהare to becomeהֹוֶהtheirלָהֶםking,לְמֶלֶךְaccording to these words.כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה
And you have alsoוְגַםset upהֶעֱמַדְתָּprophetsנְבִיאִיםto proclaimלִקְרֹאabout youעָלֶיךָin Jerusalem,בִירוּשָׁלִַםsaying,לֵאמֹר‘There is a kingמֶלֶךְin Judah.’בִּיהוּדָהAnd nowוְעַתָּהit will be heardיִשָּׁמַעby the kingלַמֶּלֶךְaccording to these words.כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּהSo nowוְעַתָּהcome,לְכָהand let us take counselוְנִוָּעֲצָהtogether.”יַחְדָּו
And I sentוָאֶשְׁלְחָהto him,אֵלָיוsaying,לֵאמֹר“It has notלֹאhappenedנִהְיָהaccording to these wordsכַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּהthatאֲשֶׁרyouאַתָּהare saying,אוֹמֵרbutכִּיout ofמִyour own heartלִּבְּךָyouאַתָּהare inventing them.”בוֹדָאם
Forכִּיall of themכֻלָּםwere frighteningמְיָרְאִיםus,אוֹתָנוּsaying,לֵאמֹר“Their handsיְדֵיהֶםwill slackenיִרְפּוּfromמִןthe work,הַמְּלָאכָהand it will notוְלֹאbe done.”תֵעָשֶׂהAnd now,וְעַתָּהstrengthenחַזֵּקmy hands.יָדָי
And Iוַאֲנִיwent intoבָאתִיthe houseבֵּיתof Shemaiahשְׁמַעְיָהsonבֶןof Delaiah,דְּלָיָהsonבֶּןof Mehetabel,מְהֵיטַבְאֵלand heוְהוּאwasshut in;עָצוּרand he said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Let us meetנִוָּעֵדatאֶלthe houseבֵּיתof Elohim,הָאֱלֹהִיםinsideאֶל תּוֹךְthe temple,הַהֵיכָלand let us shutוְנִסְגְּרָהthe doorsדַּלְתוֹתof the temple,הַהֵיכָלforכִּיthey are comingבָּאִיםto kill you;לְהָרְגֶךָand by nightוְלַיְלָהthey are comingבָּאִיםto kill you.”לְהָרְגֶךָ
But I said,וָאֹמְרָה“Shouldהַa manאִישׁlike meכָּמוֹנִיflee?יִבְרָחAnd whoוּמִיis therelike meכָמוֹנִיwhoאֲשֶׁרwould goיָבוֹאintoאֶלthe templeהַהֵיכָלand live?וָחָיI will notלֹאgo in.”אָבוֹא
And I recognized,וָאַכִּירָהand in fact,וְהִנֵּהthatit was notלֹאElohim whoאֱלֹהִיםhad sent him,שְׁלָחוֹbutכִּיhe had spokenדִּבֶּרthe prophecyהַנְּבוּאָהagainst me,עָלַיand Tobiahוְטוֹבִיָּהand Sanballatוְסַנְבַלַּטhad hired him.שְׂכָרוֹ
For this purposeלְמַעַןhe wasהוּאhired:שָׂכוּרso thatלְמַעַןI would be afraidאִירָאand actוְאֶעֱשֶׂהsoכֵּןand sin,וְחָטָאתִיand it would becomeוְהָיָהfor themלָהֶםan evilרָעname,לְשֵׁםso thatלְמַעַןthey could reproach me.יְחָרְפוּנִי
Remember,זָכְרָהmy Elohim,אֱלֹהַיTobiahלְטוֹבִיָּהand Sanballatוּלְסַנְבַלַּטaccording to theseכְּ אֵלֶּהworks of his,מַעֲשָׂיוand alsoוְגַםNoadiahלְנוֹעַדְיָהthe prophetessהַנְּבִיאָהand the restוּלְיֶתֶרof the prophetsהַנְּבִיאִיםwhoאֲשֶׁרwere frighteningהָיוּ מְיָרְאִיםme.אוֹתִי
So the wallוַ הַחוֹמָהwas completedתִּשְׁלַםon the twenty-fifthבְּעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁהof Elul,לֶאֱלוּלin fifty-twoלַחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִםdays.יוֹם
It happenedוַיְהִיthat whenכַּאֲשֶׁרallכָּלour enemiesאוֹיְבֵינוּheard,שָׁמְעוּallכָּלthe nationsהַגּוֹיִםthatאֲשֶׁרwerearound usסְבִיבֹתֵינוּwere afraid,וַיִּרְאוּand they fellוַיִּפְּלוּgreatlyמְאֹדin their own eyes,בְּעֵינֵיהֶםand they knewוַיֵּדְעוּthatכִּיfromמֵאֵתour Elohimאֱלֹהֵינוּthisהַזֹּאתworkהַמְּלָאכָהhad been done.נֶעֶשְׂתָה
Alsoגַּםin thoseבַּ הָהֵםdaysיָּמִיםthe noblesחֹרֵיof Judahיְהוּדָהwere multiplyingמַרְבִּיםtheir lettersאִגְּרֹתֵיהֶםgoingהוֹלְכוֹתto Tobiah,עַל טוֹבִיָּהand thoseוַאֲשֶׁרof Tobiahלְטוֹבִיָּהwere comingבָּאוֹתto them.אֲלֵיהֶם
Forכִּיmanyרַבִּיםin Judahבִּיהוּדָהwerebound by oathבַּעֲלֵי שְׁבוּעָהto him,לוֹbecauseכִּיheהוּאwasson-in-lawחָתָןto Shecaniahלִשְׁכַנְיָהsonבֶןof Arah,אָרַחand Jehohananוִיהוֹחָנָןhis sonבְּנוֹhad takenלָקַחthe daughterבַּתof Meshullamמְשֻׁלָּםsonבֶּןof Berechiah.בֶּרֶכְיָה
Alsoגַּםthey kept speakingהָיוּ אֹמְרִיםof his good deedsטוֹבֹתָיוbefore me,לְפָנַיand my wordsוּדְבָרַיthey kept carrying outהָיוּ מוֹצִיאִיםto him.לוֹLettersאִגְּרוֹתTobiahטוֹבִיָּהsentשָׁלַחto frighten me.לְיָרְאֵנִי