Further Opposition to the Rebuilding
1When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem 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— 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages6:2 Or in Kephirim on the plain of Ono.”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3so 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?” 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
5Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem6:6 Hebrew Gashmu, a variant of Geshem 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 7and 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.”
8I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9They 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.”
10One 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, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11But 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!” 12I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He 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.
14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. 15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Opposition to the Completed Wall
16When 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.
17Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18For 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. 19Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
Wɔkɔ So Ko Tia Asiesie No
1Bere a Sanbalat, Tobia, Arabni Gesem ne yɛn atamfo nkae no huu sɛ masiesie ɔfasu no awie a ɔkwan biara nneda ntam; nanso saa bere no na minsisii apon no, 2Sanbalat ne Gesem de nkra brɛɛ me se, minhyia wɔn wɔ nkuraa no baako a ɛwɔ Ono tataw so hɔ. Nanso mihuu sɛ wɔrepam me ti so, 3enti memaa wɔn mmuae se, “Mereyɛ adwuma kɛse bi a merentumi nnyae mmehyia mo.” 4Wɔmaa me saa nkra no mpɛn anan. Ne nyinaa mu no, memaa mmuae koro no ara.
5Ne mpɛn anum so no, Sanbalat somfo bae no na okura krataa a wɔakyerɛw. 6Na krataa no mu nsɛm ni:
“Gesem aka akyerɛ me se, baabiara a ɔbɛkɔ no, ɔte sɛ wo ne Yudafo no repam atew atua; ɛno nti na woresiesie ɔfasu no. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, wopɛ sɛ wubedi wɔn so hene, 7na mpo, woayi adiyifo bi sɛ wɔnhyɛ wo ho nkɔm wɔ Yerusalem se, ‘Monhwɛ! Ɔhene bi wɔ Yuda!’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wugye to mu sɛ, saa asɛm yi beduu ɔhene aso mu, enti ɛsɛ sɛ woba, na wo ne me bɛka ho asɛm.”
8Mibuae se, “Wunim sɛ woretwa atoro. Asɛm a woreka no, nokware baako koraa nni mu.”
9Huna na na wɔpɛ sɛ wohunahuna yɛn. Na wususuw sɛ wobetumi abu yɛn aba mu na yegyae adwuma no yɛ. Ɛno nti, mebɔɔ mpae sɛ menya ahoɔden de atoa dwumadi no so.
10Akyiri no, mekɔsraa Delaia babarima a ɔyɛ Mehetabel nena Semaia a ɔhyɛ ne fi na ɔnkɔ baabiara no. Ɔkae se, “Ma yenhyia wɔ Onyankopɔn asɔredan no mu, na yɛmmram apon no akyi. Wʼatamfo reba abekum wo anadwo yi.”
11Na mibuae se, “Enti ɛsɛ sɛ obi a ɔte sɛ me guan amanehunu ana? Enti ɛsɛ sɛ obi a ɔte sɛ me bɛkɔ akohintaw Asɔredan mu de apere me nkwa ana? Dabi, merenyɛ saa!” 12Mihuu sɛ Onyankopɔn nkasa nkyerɛɛ no, na ne nkɔm a ɔhyɛe no tia me, efisɛ Tobia ne Sanbalat abɔ no paa. 13Na wosusuw sɛ wobehunahuna me, na mafa nʼadwenkyerɛ no so ayɛ bɔne, na wɔnam so abɔ me sobo, asɛe me din.
14Me Nyankopɔn, kae bɔne a Tobia ne Sanbalat ayɛ no nyinaa. Na kae odiyifobea Noadia ne adiyifo a wɔte sɛ ɔno a wɔpɛe sɛ wohunahuna me no.
Adansifo No Wie Ɔfasu No To
15Enti Elul ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) da a ɛto so abien no, wowiee ɔfasu no asiesie, nnafua aduonum abien a wofii dwumadi no ase no mu. 16Bere a yɛn atamfo ne aman a wɔatwa yɛn ho ahyia tee no, wosuroe, na ɛma wɔbotowee. Wohuu sɛ Onyankopɔn mmoa na wɔde ayɛ adwuma no.
17Saa nnafua aduonum abien no mu no, nkrataa bebree dii akɔneaba wɔ Tobia ne Yuda adwumayɛfo no ntam. 18Efisɛ na Yudafo bebree aka ntam sɛ, wɔbɛsom no. Afei, na Tobia ase ne Arah babarima Sekania. Na Sekania babarima Yehohanan nso aware Berekia babarima Mesulam babea. 19Wɔkɔɔ so kaa sɛnea Tobia ho yɛ nwonwa fa no kyerɛɛ me, na wɔkaa biribiara a mekae nso kyerɛɛ no. Na Tobia de ahunahuna nkrataa bebree brɛɛ me.
