Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.
於是我差遣人去見他們，說：「我現在辦理大工，不能下去。焉能停工下去見你們呢？」
And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
他們這樣四次打發人來見我，我都如此回答他們。
And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.
信上寫著說：「外邦人中有風聲，
In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king.
你又派先知在
And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.”
我就差遣人去見他，說：「你所說的這事，一概沒有，是你心裏捏造的。」
Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.”
他們都要使我們懼怕，意思說，他們的手必軟弱，以致工作不能成就。神啊，求你堅固我的手。
For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
我到了
Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.”
我說：「像我這樣的人豈要逃跑呢？像我這樣的人豈能進入殿裏保全生命呢？我不進去！」
But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.”
我看明神沒有差遣他，是他自己說這話攻擊我，是
And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
賄買他的緣故，是要叫我懼怕，依從他犯罪，他們好傳揚惡言毀謗我。
For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.
我的神啊，
Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.
以祿月二十五日，城牆修完了，共修了五十二天。
So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
我們一切仇敵、四圍的外邦人聽見了便懼怕，愁眉不展；因為見這工作完成是出乎我們的神。
And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
在那些日子，
Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
在
For many in Judah were bound by oath 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 his wife.
他們常在我面前說
Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.