¹ولما سمع سنبلّط وطوبيا وجشم العربي وبقية اعدائنا اني قد بنيت السور ولم تبق فيه ثغرة. على اني لم اكن الى ذلك الوقت قد اقمت مصاريع للابواب.

¹And it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),

²ارسل سنبلط وجشم اليّ قائلين هلم نجتمع معا في القرى في بقعة اونو. وكانا يفكران ان يعملا بي شرا.

²that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

³فارسلت اليهما رسلا قائلا اني انا عامل عملا عظيما فلا اقدر ان انزل. لماذا يبطل العمل بينما اتركه وانزل اليكما.

³And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?

⁴وارسلا اليّ بمثل هذا الكلام اربع مرات وجاوبتهما بمثل هذا الجواب.

⁴And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner.

⁵فارسل اليّ سنبلط بمثل هذا الكلام مرة خامسة مع غلامه برسالة منشورة بيده مكتوب فيها

⁵Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,

⁶قد سمع بين الامم وجشم يقول انك انت واليهود تفكرون ان تتمردوا لذلك انت تبني السور لتكون لهم ملكا حسب هذه الامور.

⁶in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king.

⁷وقد اقمت ايضا انبياء لينادوا بك في اورشليم قائلين في يهوذا ملك. والآن يخبر الملك بهذا الكلام. فهلم الآن نتشاور معا.

⁷And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

⁸فارسلت اليه قائلا لا يكون مثل هذا الكلام الذي تقوله بل انما انت مختلقه من قلبك.

⁸And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

⁹لانهم كانوا جميعا يخيفوننا قائلين قد ارتخت ايديهم عن العمل فلا يعمل. فالآن يا الهي شدّد يديّ

⁹For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out. -- Now therefore strengthen my hands!

¹⁰ودخلت بيت شمعيا بن دلايا بن مهيطبئيل وهو مغلق فقال لنجتمع الى بيت الله الى وسط الهيكل ونقفل ابواب الهيكل لانهم يأتون ليقتلوك. في الليل يأتون ليقتلوك.

¹⁰And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who had shut himself 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 are coming to kill thee; even in the night are they coming to kill thee.

¹¹فقلت أرجل مثلي يهرب ومن مثلي يدخل الهيكل فيحيا. لا ادخل.

¹¹And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, could go into the temple, and live? I will not go in.

¹²فتحققت وهوذا لم يرسله الله لانه تكلم بالنبوة عليّ وطوبيا وسنبلّط قد استأجراه.

¹²And I perceived, and behold, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me; and Tobijah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³لاجل هذا قد استؤجر لكي اخاف وافعل هكذا واخطئ فيكون لهما خبر رديء لكي يعيراني.

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

¹⁴اذكر يا الهي طوبيا وسنبلّط حسب اعمالهما هذه ونوعدية النبية وباقي الانبياء الذين يخيفونني

¹⁴My God, remember Tobijah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.

¹⁵وكمل السور في الخامس والعشرين من ايلول في اثنين وخمسين يوما.

¹⁵So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

¹⁶ولما سمع كل اعدائنا ورأى جميع الامم الذين حوالينا سقطوا كثيرا في اعين انفسهم وعلموا انه من قبل الهنا عمل هذا العمل.

¹⁶And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard [of it], all the nations that were about us were afraid and were much cast down in their own eyes, and they perceived that this work was wrought by our God.

¹⁷وايضا في تلك الايام اكثر عظماء يهوذا توارد رسائلهم على طوبيا ومن عند طوبيا اتت الرسائل اليهم.

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

¹⁸لان كثيرين في يهوذا كانوا اصحاب حلف له لانه صهر شكنيا بن آرح ويهوحانان ابنه اخذ بنت مشلام بن برخيا.

¹⁸For there were many in Judah sworn to him; for he was a son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

¹⁹وكانوا ايضا يخبرون امامي بحسناته وكانوا يبلغون كلامي اليه. وارسل طوبيا رسائل ليخوّفني

¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobijah sent letters to put me in fear.