1Now 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;) 2That 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. 3And 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? 4Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. 5Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6Wherein 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.6.6 Gashmu: also called, Geshem 7And 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. 8Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. 9For 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.
10Afterward 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. 11And 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. 12And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13Therefore 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. 14My 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. 16And 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.6.17 sent…: Heb. multiplied their letters passing to Tobiah 18For 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. 19Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.6.19 words: or, matters
Okuwakanya Okuzimba Bbugwe Kweyongera
16:1 a Nek 2:10 b Nek 2:19Awo Sanubalaati, ne Tobiya ne Gesemu Omuwalabu n’abalabe baffe abalala bwe baawulira nga nzimbye bbugwe era nga tewali mabanga gaasigalamu, newaakubadde nga twali tetunateekamu nzigi mu miryango, 26:2 1By 8:12Sanubalaati ne Gesemu ne bampeereza obubaka nti, “Jjangu tusisinkane mu kyalo ekimu eky’omu lusenyi lwa Ono.”
Naye ekigendererwa kyabwe kyali kundeetako kabi. 3Kyennava mbatumira ababaka okubategeeza nti, “Nnina omulimu munene, siisobole kuserengeta gye muli. Lwaki ndeka omulimu ne nzija okubasisinkana?” 4Ne baweereza obubaka bwe bumu emirundi ena, buli mulundi ne mbaddangamu mu ngeri y’emu.
56:5 Nek 2:10Awo Sanubalaati n’antumira omuddu we omulundi ogwokutaano n’ebbaluwa etaali nsibe mu mukono gwe, 66:6 Nek 2:19ng’erimu ebigambo bino nti,
“Tuwulidde mu mawanga, era ne Gesemu akirinako obukakafu, nga ggwe n’Abayudaaya, mweteeseteese okujeema era kyemuvudde muzimba bbugwe, era n’olugambo luyitayita nga ggwe olina enteekateeka ey’okufuuka kabaka waabwe. 7Kigambibwa nga walonda bannabbi mu Yerusaalemi okukulangiririra nti, ‘Mu Yuda mulimu kabaka.’ Noolwekyo obubaka obwo nga tebunatwalibwa eri kabaka, jjangu tukkiriziganye ku nsonga eyo.”
8Ne muweereza obubaka nga ŋŋamba nti, “Tewabanga kigambo bwe kityo ku byoyogedde; ogunja bigunje okuva mu mutima gwo.”
9Bonna baali bagezaako okututiisatiisa, nga balowooza nti, “Emikono gyabwe girinafuwa omulimu ne gulema okuggwa.” Naye ne nsaba nti, “Ayi Katonda, nyweza emikono gyaffe.”
106:10 Kbl 18:7Olunaku olumu ne ŋŋenda mu nnyumba ya Semaaya mutabani wa Deraaya, muzzukulu wa Meketaberi; yali yeesibidde mu nnyumba, n’aŋŋamba nti, “Tusisinkane mu nnyumba ya Katonda, mu yeekaalu munda, tuggalewo enzigi za yeekaalu, kubanga bajja okukutta, ekiro kino bajja kukutta.”
11Naye ne nziramu nti, “Omusajja nga nze nnyinza okudduka? Kiki ekitwala omusajja afaanana nga nze6:11 Abantu abaabulijjo abataali bakabona baali tebakkirizibwa kuyingira mu Watukuvu w’Awatukuvu mu Yeekaalu. mu yeekaalu okuwonya obulamu bwange? Sijja kugenda yo.” 126:12 a Ez 13:22-23 b Nek 2:10Ne nkizuula nga Katonda yali tamutumye, naye yali antegeeza ebigambo ebyo kubanga Tobiya ne Sanubalaati baamugulirira. 136:13 Yer 20:10Bamugulirira okuntiisatiisa n’okunkozesa ekyo nnyonoone, balyoke boonoone erinnya lyange nga banjogerako ebigambo ebya swakaba.
146:14 a Nek 1:8 b Nek 2:10 c Kuv 15:20; Ez 13:17-23; Bik 21:9; Kub 2:20 d Nek 13:29; Yer 23:9-40; Zek 13:2-3Ayi Katonda wange ojjukire Tobiya ne Sanubalaati olw’ebikolwa ebyo, era ojjukire ne Nowadiya nnabbi omukazi ne bannabbi abalala abaagezaako okuntiisatiisa.
Bbugwe Amalirizibwa
15Bbugwe n’aggwa okukola ku lunaku olw’amakumi abiri mu etaano mu mwezi ogwa Eruli, mu nnaku amakumi ataano mu bbiri. 16Abalabe baffe bonna bwe baakiwulira, amawanga gonna agaali gatwetoolodde ne bamulaba, ne batya era ne baggwaamu omwoyo, kubanga baalaba ng’omulimu gwakolebwa olw’okubeerwa kwa Katonda waffe.
17Ate era mu biro ebyo abakungu ba Yuda baaweerezanga ebbaluwa eri Tobiya. Tobiya n’aziddangamu. 18Bangi ku bo mu Yuda abaamulayirira, kubanga yali mukoddomi wa Sekaniya mutabani wa Ala, ate nga ne mutabani we Yekokanani yali awasizza muwala wa Mesullamu mutabani wa Berekiya. 19Baamuwaanawaananga mu maaso gange, n’oluvannyuma ne bamutegeeza bye nayogeranga. Tobiya n’aweerezanga ebbaluwa okuntiisatiisa.
