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.
Gũthiĩ na Mbere Kũgirio Gwaka Rũthingo
1Na rĩrĩa Sanibalati, na Tobia, na Geshemu ũrĩa Mũarabu, na thũ iria ingĩ ciitũ maakinyĩirwo nĩ ũhoro atĩ nĩnjakĩte rũthingo rĩngĩ na hatiarĩ ithenya o na rĩmwe rĩatigarĩte rũthingo-inĩ, o na gũtuĩka nginyagia ihinda rĩu ndiekĩrĩte mĩrango ya ihingo, 26:2 1Maũ 8:12Sanibalati na Geshemu makĩndũmĩra ndũmĩrĩri ĩno: “Ũka, reke tũcemanie itũũra-inĩ rĩmwe werũ-inĩ wa Ono.”
No rĩrĩ, maathugundaga kũnjĩka ũũru; 3nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmatũmĩra andũ mamacookerie atĩrĩ: “Ndĩ na wĩra wa bata ndĩraruta, ndingĩhota gũikũrũka njũke. Wĩra ũngĩkĩrũgamio nĩkĩ, atĩ nyambe njikũrũke kũrĩ inyuĩ?” 4Maandũmĩire ndũmĩrĩri ta ĩyo maita mana, na o hĩndĩ ndaacookagia icookio rĩu.
56:5 Neh 2:10Ihinda rĩa gatano Sanibalati akĩndũmĩra ndungata yake na ndũmĩrĩri o ro ĩyo, ĩkuuĩte marũa mataarĩ matume, 66:6 Neh 2:19marĩa maandĩkĩtwo ũũ:
“Ũhoro nĩwarĩtio ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ, na Geshemu aroiga ũhoro ũcio nĩ wa ma, atĩ wee na Ayahudi nĩmũrathugunda kũremera mũthamaki mũmũũkĩrĩre, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩmũraaka rũthingo. Ningĩ kũringana na ũhoro ũcio nĩũrenda gũtuĩka mũthamaki wao 7na atĩ nĩ ũthuurĩte anabii a kwanĩrĩra ũhoro ũgũkoniĩ kũu Jerusalemu makiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Juda kũrĩ na mũthamaki!’ Rĩu-rĩ, ũhoro ũcio nĩũgũkinyĩra mũthamaki; nĩ ũndũ ũcio ũka, twaranĩrie.”
8Na niĩ ngĩkĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ: “Gũtirĩ ũndũ ta ũcio ũroiga ũrekĩka; nĩ gwĩthugundĩra ũrethugundĩra ũhoro ũcio meciiria-inĩ maku.”
9Andũ acio maageragia ũrĩa wothe mangĩtũguoyohia, magĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Moko mao nĩmekwaga hinya wa kũruta wĩra, naguo wage kũrĩĩka.”
No ngĩhooya Ngai, ngĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ĩkĩra moko makwa hinya.”
10Mũthenya ũmwe nĩndathiire mũciĩ gwa Shemaia mũrũ wa Delaia, mũrũ wa Mehetabeli, ũrĩa wahingĩirwo gwake mũciĩ. Akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩtũcemanie nyũmba ya Ngai, hekarũ thĩinĩ, na tũhinge mĩrango ya hekarũ, tondũ kũrĩ na andũ maroka gũkũũraga, megũka gũkũũraga ũtukũ.”
11No ngĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ta niĩ nĩagĩrĩirwo nĩ kũũra? Kana mũndũ ta niĩ nĩagĩrĩirwo kwĩhitha thĩinĩ wa hekarũ6:11 Andũ arĩa mataarĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai matietĩkĩrĩtio gũtoonya Handũ-harĩa-Hatheru-Mũno. ahonokie muoyo wake? Niĩ ndigũthiĩ!” 126:12 Ezek 13:22-23Nĩndamenyire atĩ ti Ngai wamũtũmĩte, no aandathagĩra ũũru tondũ Tobia na Sanibalati nĩmamũrĩhĩte eke ũguo. 13Aarĩhĩtwo nĩguo atũme ndĩtigĩre nĩgeetha ndeka ũguo njĩhie, ngĩe na rĩĩtwa rĩũru nao mone njĩra ya kũũmenithia.
146:14 Thaam 15:20; Ezek 13:17-23Wee Ngai wakwa, ririkana Tobia na Sanibalati tondũ wa ũrĩa mekĩte, na ũririkane Noadia mũnabii mũndũ-wa-nja, o na anabii arĩa angĩ makoretwo makĩgeria kũnjĩkĩra guoya.
Kũrĩĩka kwa Rũthingo
15Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, rũthingo rũu rwarĩĩkire thuutha wa mĩthenya mĩrongo ĩtano na ĩĩrĩ, mũthenya wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ na ĩtano, mweri-inĩ wa Eluli. 16Rĩrĩa thũ ciitũ ciaiguire ũhoro ũcio, ndũrĩrĩ ciothe iria ciatũthiũrũrũkĩirie igĩĩtigĩra na ikĩaga mwĩhoko, nĩ ũndũ nĩmamenyire atĩ wĩra ũcio warutĩkire na ũndũ wa ũteithio wa Ngai witũ.
17Ningĩ matukũ-inĩ macio, andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a Juda nĩmatũmagĩra Tobia marũa maingĩ, nao nĩmanyiitaga macookio kuuma kũrĩ Tobia. 18Nĩgũkorwo andũ aingĩ a Juda nĩmehĩtĩte gũkorwo mwena wake, tondũ aarĩ mũthoni-we wa Shekania mũrũ wa Ara, na mũriũ wake Jehohanani aahikĩtie mwarĩ wa Meshulamu mũrũ wa Berekia. 19Na ningĩ nĩmaikaraga makĩĩheaga ũhoro wa ciĩko ciake njega magacooka makamwĩra ũrĩa na niĩ njugĩte. Nake Tobia akaandũmagĩra marũa ma gũtũma ndĩĩtigĩre.
