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א
וַיְהִי כַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁמַע לְסַנְבַלַּט וְטוֹבִיָּה וּלְגֶשֶׁם הָעַרְבִי וּלְיֶתֶר אֹיְבֵינוּ, כִּי בָנִיתִי אֶת-הַחוֹמָה, וְלֹא-נוֹתַר בָּהּ, פָּרֶץ--גַּם עַד-הָעֵת הַהִיא, דְּלָתוֹת לֹא-הֶעֱמַדְתִּי בַשְּׁעָרִים.
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1
Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and unto the rest of our enemies, that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein--though even unto that time I had not set up the doors in the gates--
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ב
וַיִּשְׁלַח סַנְבַלַּט וְגֶשֶׁם אֵלַי לֵאמֹר, לְכָה וְנִוָּעֲדָה יַחְדָּו בַּכְּפִירִים בְּבִקְעַת אוֹנוֹ; וְהֵמָּה, חֹשְׁבִים, לַעֲשׂוֹת לִי, רָעָה.
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2
that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying: 'Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.' But they thought to do me mischief.
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ג
וָאֶשְׁלְחָה עֲלֵיהֶם מַלְאָכִים, לֵאמֹר--מְלָאכָה גְדוֹלָה אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה, וְלֹא אוּכַל לָרֶדֶת; לָמָּה תִשְׁבַּת הַמְּלָאכָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אַרְפֶּהָ, וְיָרַדְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם.
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3
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?'
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ד
וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלַי כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, אַרְבַּע פְּעָמִים; וָאָשִׁיב אוֹתָם, כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. {ס}
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4
And they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
{S}
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ה
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלַי סַנְבַלַּט כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, פַּעַם חֲמִישִׁית--אֶת-נַעֲרוֹ; וְאִגֶּרֶת פְּתוּחָה, בְּיָדוֹ.
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5
Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
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ו
כָּתוּב בָּהּ, בַּגּוֹיִם נִשְׁמָע וְגַשְׁמוּ אֹמֵר, אַתָּה וְהַיְּהוּדִים חֹשְׁבִים לִמְרוֹד, עַל-כֵּן אַתָּה בוֹנֶה הַחוֹמָה; וְאַתָּה, הֹוֶה לָהֶם לְמֶלֶךְ--כַּדְּבָרִים, הָאֵלֶּה.
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6
wherein was written: 'It is reported among the nations, and Geshem saith it, that thou and the Judite think to rebel; for which cause thou buildest the wall; and thou wouldest be their king, even according to these words.
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ז
וְגַם-נְבִיאִים הֶעֱמַדְתָּ לִקְרֹא עָלֶיךָ בִירוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר, מֶלֶךְ בִּיהוּדָה, וְעַתָּה יִשָּׁמַע לַמֶּלֶךְ, כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה; וְעַתָּה לְכָה, וְנִוָּעֲצָה יַחְדָּו. {ס}
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7
And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim 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.'
{S}
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ח
וָאֶשְׁלְחָה אֵלָיו, לֵאמֹר--לֹא נִהְיָה כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: כִּי מִלִּבְּךָ, אַתָּה בוֹדָאם.
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8
Then I sent unto him, saying: 'There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.'
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ט
כִּי כֻלָּם, מְיָרְאִים אוֹתָנוּ לֵאמֹר, יִרְפּוּ יְדֵיהֶם מִן-הַמְּלָאכָה, וְלֹא תֵעָשֶׂה; וְעַתָּה, חַזֵּק אֶת-יָדָי.
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9
For they all would have us afraid, saying: 'Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.' But now, strengthen Thou my hands.
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י
וַאֲנִי-בָאתִי, בֵּית שְׁמַעְיָה בֶן-דְּלָיָה בֶּן-מְהֵיטַבְאֵל--וְהוּא עָצוּר; וַיֹּאמֶר נִוָּעֵד אֶל-בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים אֶל-תּוֹךְ הַהֵיכָל, וְנִסְגְּרָה דַּלְתוֹת הַהֵיכָל--כִּי בָּאִים לְהָרְגֶךָ, וְלַיְלָה בָּאִים לְהָרְגֶךָ.
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10
And as for me, I went unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up; and he said: 'Let us meet together in the house of Eloheem, 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.'
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יא
וָאֹמְרָה, הַאִישׁ כָּמוֹנִי יִבְרָח, וּמִי כָמוֹנִי אֲשֶׁר-יָבֹא אֶל-הַהֵיכָל, וָחָי; לֹא, אָבוֹא.
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11
And I said: 'Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being such as I, could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.'
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יב
וָאַכִּירָה, וְהִנֵּה לֹא-אֱלֹהִים שְׁלָחוֹ: כִּי הַנְּבוּאָה דִּבֶּר עָלַי, וְטוֹבִיָּה וְסַנְבַלַּט שְׂכָרוֹ.
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12
And I discerned, and, lo, Eloheem had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me, whereas Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
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יג
לְמַעַן שָׂכוּר הוּא, לְמַעַן-אִירָא וְאֶעֱשֶׂה-כֵּן וְחָטָאתִי; וְהָיָה לָהֶם לְשֵׁם רָע, לְמַעַן יְחָרְפוּנִי. {פ}
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13
For this cause 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 taunt me.
{P}
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יד
זָכְרָה אֱלֹהַי לְטוֹבִיָּה וּלְסַנְבַלַּט, כְּמַעֲשָׂיו אֵלֶּה; וְגַם לְנוֹעַדְיָה הַנְּבִיאָה וּלְיֶתֶר הַנְּבִיאִים, אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ מְיָרְאִים אוֹתִי.
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14
Remember, O my Eloheem, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have me put in fear.
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טו
וַתִּשְׁלַם, הַחוֹמָה, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה, לֶאֱלוּל--לַחֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁנַיִם, יוֹם. {פ}
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15
So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
{P}
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טז
וַיְהִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ כָּל-אוֹיְבֵינוּ, וַיִּרְאוּ כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ, וַיִּפְּלוּ מְאֹד בְּעֵינֵיהֶם; וַיֵּדְעוּ--כִּי מֵאֵת אֱלֹהֵינוּ, נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַמְּלָאכָה הַזֹּאת.
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16
And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard thereof, that all the nations that were about us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was wrought of our Eloheem.
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יז
גַּם בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, מַרְבִּים חֹרֵי יְהוּדָה אִגְּרֹתֵיהֶם, הוֹלְכוֹת, עַל-טוֹבִיָּה; וַאֲשֶׁר לְטוֹבִיָּה, בָּאוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם.
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17
Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
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יח
כִּי-רַבִּים בִּיהוּדָה, בַּעֲלֵי שְׁבוּעָה לוֹ--כִּי-חָתָן הוּא, לִשְׁכַנְיָה בֶן-אָרַח; וִיהוֹחָנָן בְּנוֹ--לָקַח, אֶת-בַּת-מְשֻׁלָּם בֶּן בֶּרֶכְיָה.
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18
For there were many in Judah sworn unto 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 to wife.
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יט
גַּם טוֹבֹתָיו, הָיוּ אֹמְרִים לְפָנַי, וּדְבָרַי, הָיוּ מוֹצִיאִים לוֹ; אִגְּרוֹת שָׁלַח טוֹבִיָּה, לְיָרְאֵנִי.
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19
Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.
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