1
Forsooth it was done, when Sanballat had heard, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia, and our other enemies, that I had builded (again) the wall, and no more breaking was therein; and unto that time I had not set up the leaves of shutting of the gates; (And it was done, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab, and all our other enemies had heard, that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no longer any breaks in it; although until that time I had not put up the leaves for shutting the gates;)
2
and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem of Arabia sent to me, and said, Come thou into a field, and smite we bond of peace in (one of the) villages; certainly they thought to do evil to me. (and Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab sent word to me, and said, Come thou, and strike we a covenant, in one of the villages on the Plain of Ono; but truly they thought to do evil to me.)
3
Therefore I sent messengers to them, and I said, I make a great work, and I may not go down therefore (And so I sent messengers to them, and I said, I am doing important work here, and so I cannot go down there), lest peradventure it be done recklessly/lest peradventure it be done negligently, when I come, and go down to you.
4
Soothly they sent to me by this word by four times, and I answered to them by the former word. (And they sent this request to me four times, and each time I answered to them what I had said before.)
5
And Sanballat sent to me the fifth time by the former word his servant; and he had in his hand a letter, (And the fifth time, Sanballat sent his servant to me with the same request; and he had a letter in his hand,)
6
written in this manner; It is heard among heathen men, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews think for to rebel, and therefore ye build (again) the wall, and thou wilt raise thee (up as) king on them; (written in this manner; It is heard among the heathen, and Gashmu said, that thou and the Jews plan to rebel, and so ye rebuild the wall, and soon thou wilt raise thyself up as a king over them;)
7
for which cause also thou hast set prophets, which preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, A king is in Jerusalem; the king shall hear these words; therefore come thou now, that we take counsel together. (for which reason thou hast also set forth prophets, who preach of thee in Jerusalem, and say, There is a new king in Judah; the king shall hear of these words; and so come thou now, so that we can take counsel about this matter together.)
8
And I sent to them, and said, It is not done by these words which thou speakest; for (out) of thine own heart thou makest these things (up).
9
All these men made us afeared, and thought that our hands should cease from our works, and that we should rest from building; for which cause I strengthened more mine hand thereto (and for this reason I applied myself even more strongly to the task at hand).
10
And I entered privily into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, which said to me, (Re)Treat we there with ourselves in(to) the house of God, in(to) the midst of the temple, and close we the gates of the house; for they shall come to slay thee, yea, by (the) night they shall come to slay thee. (And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who was enclosed, or confined, there, and he said to me, Let us go to the House of God, into the middle of the Temple, and lock all the doors of the House; for they shall come to kill thee, yea, in the night they shall come to kill thee.)