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Aphan glybu Sanbalat, a Thobeia, a Gesem yr Arabiad, a’r rhan arall o’n gelynion, adeiladu ohonof fi y mur, ac nad oedd adwy wedi ei gadael ynddo; (er na osodaswn i y pryd hwnnw y dorau ar y pyrth;) Yna yr anfonodd Sanbalat a Gesem ataf, gan ddywedyd, Tyred, ac ymgyfarfyddwn ynghyd yn un o’r pentrefi yng ngwastadedd Ono. Ac yr oeddynt hwy yn bwriadu gwneuthur niwed i mi. Minnau a anfonais genhadau atynt hwy, gan ddywedyd, Gwaith mawr yr ydwyf fi yn ei wneuthur; oherwydd hynny ni allaf ddyfod i waered: paham y safai y gwaith, pan ymadawn ag ef, a dyfod i waered atoch chwi? Eto hwy a anfonasant ataf fi yn y wedd hon bedair gwaith; ac yn y modd hwnnw yr atebais hwynt. Yna Sanbalat a anfonodd ei was ataf fi y bumed waith yr un ffunud, â llythyr agored yn ei law: Ynddo yr oedd yn ysgrifenedig, Ymysg y cenhedloedd y mae y gair, a Gasmu sydd yn dywedyd, dy fod di a’r Iddewon yn amcanu gwrthryfela: oherwydd hynny dy fod di yn adeiladu y mur, fel y byddit frenin arnynt, yn ôl y geiriau hyn; A’th fod dithau hefyd wedi gosod proffwydi i bregethu amdanat yn Jerwsalem, gan ddywedyd, Y mae brenin yn Jwda. Ac yn awr y fath ymadroddion â hyn a glyw y brenin: gan hynny tyred yn awr, ac ymgynghorwn ynghyd. Yna yr anfonais ato, gan ddywedyd, Ni ddarfu yn ôl yr ymadroddion hyn yr ydwyt ti yn eu dywedyd: ond o’th galon dy hun yr ydwyt yn eu dychmygu hwynt. Oblegid hwynt‐hwy oll oedd yn ceisio ein hofni ni, gan ddywedyd, Eu dwylo hwy a laesant oddi wrth y gwaith, fel nas gwneir ef. Gan hynny cryfha yn awr, O Dduw, fy nwylo i. 10 A mi a ddeuthum i dŷ Semaia mab Delaia, mab Mehetabeel, yr hwn oedd wedi cau arno; ac efe a ddywedodd, Cyfarfyddwn yn nhŷ Dduw, a chaewn ddrysau y deml: canys y maent yn dyfod i’th ladd di; a lliw nos y deuant i’th ladd di. 11 Yna y dywedais, a ffy gŵr o’m bath i? neu pwy sydd fel myfi yr hwn a elai i’r deml, fel y byddai byw? Nid af i mewn. 12 Ac wele, gwybûm nad Duw a’i hanfonasai ef; ond llefaru ohono ef y broffwydoliaeth hon yn fy erbyn i: canys Tobeia a Sanbalat a’i cyflogasent ef. 13 Oherwydd hyn y cyflogasid ef, fel y’m hofnid i, ac y gwnawn felly, ac y pechwn; ac y byddai hynny ganddynt yn enllib i’m herbyn, fel y’m gwaradwyddent. 14 O fy Nuw, cofia Tobeia a Sanbalat, yn ôl eu gweithredoedd hynny; a Noadeia y broffwydes hefyd, a’r rhan arall o’r proffwydi y rhai oedd yn fy nychrynu i.

15 A’r mur a orffennwyd ar y pumed dydd ar hugain o Elul, mewn deuddeng niwrnod a deugain. 16 A phan glybu ein holl elynion ni hynny, a gweled o’r holl genhedloedd y rhai oedd o’n hamgylch, hwy a ofnasant, ac a lwfrhasant yn ddirfawr ynddynt eu hun: canys gwybuant mai trwy ein Duw ni y gwnaethid y gwaith hwn.

17 Ac yn y dyddiau hyn pendefigion Jwda oedd yn mynych ddanfon eu llythyrau at Tobeia; a’r eiddo Tobeia oedd yn dyfod atynt hwythau. 18 Canys yr oedd llawer yn Jwda mewn cynghrair ag ef; oherwydd daw oedd efe i Sechaneia mab Ara; a Johanan ei fab ef a gymerasai ferch Mesulam mab Berecheia yn wraig iddo. 19 A’i gymwynasau ef y byddent hwy yn eu mynegi ger fy mron i; fy ngeiriau innau hefyd y byddent yn eu hadrodd iddo yntau. A Thobeia a anfonodd lythyrau i’m dychrynu i.

Further Opposition to the Rebuilding

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah,(A) Geshem(B) the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages[a] on the plain of Ono.(C)

But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Then, the fifth time, Sanballat(D) sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem[b](E) says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple(F), and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”

11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me(G) because Tobiah and Sanballat(H) had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.(I)

14 Remember(J) Tobiah and Sanballat,(K) my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet(L) Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets(M) have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Opposition to the Completed Wall

16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 6:2 Or in Kephirim
  2. Nehemiah 6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem

Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

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

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?

Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;

Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.

And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach 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.

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

For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

10 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut 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 will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.

11 And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.

12 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

13 Therefore 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 reproach me.

14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

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

18 For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.