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.
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.
