Plots against Nehemiah
1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and our other enemies learned that I had completely rebuilt the wall. All I lacked was hanging the doors in the gates. 2 Then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message, asking me to meet with them in one of the villages in Ono Valley. I knew they were planning to harm me in some way. 3 So I sent messengers to tell them, “My work is too important to stop now and go there. I can't afford to slow down the work just to visit with you.” 4 They invited me four times, but each time I refused to go.
5 Finally, Sanballat sent an official to me with an unsealed letter, 6 which said:
A rumor is going around among the nations that you and the other Jews are rebuilding the wall and planning to rebel, because you want to be their king. And Geshem says it's true! 7 You even have prophets in Jerusalem, claiming you are now the king of Judah. You know the Persian king will hear about this, so let's get together and talk it over.
8 I sent a message back to Sanballat, saying, “None of this is true! You are making it all up.”
9 Our enemies were trying to frighten us and to keep us from our work. But I asked God to give me strength.
10 One day I went to visit Shemaiah. He wasn't supposed to leave his house, but he said, “Let's hurry to the holy place of the temple and hide there. We will lock the temple doors, because your enemies are planning to kill you tonight.”
11 I answered, “Why should someone like me have to run and hide in the temple to save my life? I won't go!”
12 Suddenly I realized that God had not given Shemaiah this message. But Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to trick me 13 and to frighten me into doing something wrong, because they wanted to ruin my good name.
14 Then I asked God to punish Tobiah and Sanballat for what they had done. I prayed that God would punish the prophet Noadiah and the other prophets who, together with her, had tried to frighten me.
The Work Is Finished
15 On the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, the wall was completely rebuilt. It had taken 52 days. 16 When our enemies in the surrounding nations learned that the work was finished, they felt helpless, because they knew that our God had helped us rebuild the wall.
17 All this time the Jewish leaders and Tobiah had been writing letters back and forth. 18 Many people in Judah were loyal to Tobiah for two reasons: Shecaniah son of Arah was his father-in-law, and Tobiah's son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 The people would always tell me about the good things Tobiah had done, and then they would tell Tobiah everything I had said. So Tobiah kept sending letters, trying to frighten me.
Omeripura wokuyenga Nehemia
1 Sanbalat na Tobija na Gesem novakwao novanavita na eṱe, va zuva kutja eṱe twa mana okutungurura orumbo, nokutja kamwa ri ozondovi mu rwo, nangarire kutja ingee katu twire po omivero pomahitiro. 2 Sanbalat na Gesem otji ve ndji hindira ombuze yokutja tu hakaenene mu tjimwe tjovirongo morutjandja rwa Ono. Inga ya ri ondunge yokutja ve ndji tjite otjipo. 3 Ami mbe ve hindira ovatumwa ve katje nai kuwo: “Me ungura oviungura ovinanḓengu, nu hi nokuyenena okuya ngo. Ami himee isa oviungura vi kurame, kokutja mbi ye ku eṋe uriri.”
4 Owo ve ndji kotorera ombuze tjingeyo ndji povikando vine, nu otjikando atjihe peke ami mbe ve yarurira eziriro tjingero.
5 Tjazumba Sanbalat otje ndji tumina omukarere we umwe nombuze oitjatano, noyo ya hindwa morutuu ndu ha paterwe. 6 Orutuu ndwi rwa tjangerwe nai: “Gesem me ndji raere kutja pe nombuze, ndji mai serekarerwa moviwaṋa oviraranganda kutja ove notjiwaṋa tjOvajuda mamu vanga okuzungana, nokutja ove opu mo zu okutungurura orumbo. Eye wina ma tja ove omuini movanga okurizika okurira ombara, 7 nokutja wa twa po ovaprofete tjiva ve zuvarise mOjerusalem kutja oove ombara ya Juda. Omuhona ombara, tjiri, otjiṋa hi me tji zuu; nami otji me ningire kutja u ye tu zuvasane.”
8 Ami mba yarura eziriro ndi ku ye e tja: “Kape na tjimwe tji mo hungire ouatjiri, avihe mbi vya pitire move omuini uriri.”
9 Owo aave kondjo okutumumaparisa kutja tu ise oviungura. Ami mba kumba e tja nai: “Nambano, Ndjambi, ndji pao omasa!”
10 Moruveze ndwi ami mba karyanga ku Semaja, omuzandu wa Delaja, nondekurona ya Mehetabel, eye tjinga aa ha sora okupita mondjuwo ye. Eye wa tja nai ku ami: “Eṱe na ove ngatu kaṱare mOtjouyapuke mondjuwo ya Muhona, nu tu pate omivero, owo tjinga amave ya okukuzepa. Owo mave ya okukuzepa nambano nai mouṱuku.”
11 Ami mba zira nai: “Ami kawami omurumendu ngu mbi tupuka nokukaṱara. Mo ripura kutja ami me yenene okukaṱara mondjuwo ya Muhona, ne kara nomuinyo are? Himee tjiti nao.”
12 Tji mba zu nokuripura otjiṋa hi otji mba tjiza kutja Ndjambi kangwa hungire na Semaja, nungwari Tobija na Sanbalat ombe mu popa notjimariva kutja e ndji pe omaronga nga. 13 Owo ve mu kuta kutja e ndji mumaparise mbi ture ondjo, nokutja ve zunḓe ena randje, nu ve ndji nyekerere.
14 Mba kumba e tja: “Ndjambi, zemburuka imbi Tobija na Sanbalat mbi va tjita, nu u ve vere. Zemburuka omukazendu omuprofete Noadja, novaprofete avehe varwe mba kondja okundjimumaparisa.”
Omamanukiro woviungura
15 Kombunda yomayuva omirongo vitano na yevari woviungura, orumbo aruhe otji rwa manuka meyuva oritjamirongo vivari na yetano komueze Elul. 16 Ovanavita na eṱe moviwaṋa mbye tu kondorokere tji va zuva otjiṋa hi, otji va uruma, tjinga ava tjiwa kutja oviungura mbi vya ungurwa nombatero ya Ndjambi.
17 Moure woruveze aruhe ndwi ovanane vOvajuda va tjangasana otutuu na Tobija. 18 Ovandu ovengi mOjuda va ri komunda we mena romukwe we Omujuda Sekania, omuzandu wa Arak. Wina omuzandu we Johanan wa kupire omusuko wa Mesulam, omuzandu wa Berekja. 19 Ovandu aave serekarerere momurungu wandje ovitjitwa avihe oviwa Tobija mbya tjita, nu aave mu raere oviṋa avihe ami mbiye hungire. Nu Tobija aa kara pokundjihindira otutuu twokundjimumaparisa.
