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.
Nehemia ta hangenwa
1 Sanballat, Tobia, Geshem naatondi yetu yalwe oyu uvu kutya twa hulitha etungo lyedhingililokuma lyo kali na we nando okambululu, nando otwa li inaatu tula mo manga omiyelo miikulo. 2 Sanballat naGeshem oya tumine ndje elaka taa indile ndje, tu tsakanene nayo muKefirim molushandja lwaOno. Shika osha li omwigo ye gu lukilila ndje, gu yule ndje. 3 Onda tumu kuyo elaka tali ti: “Ondi na iilonga ya simana, ite vulu okuza po. Itandi vulu okuzimbula iilonga, ndi ye kune.”
4 Oya tumine ndje elaka olyo tuu ndyoka lune, nonde ya tumine aluhe eyamukulo lya faathana.
5 Opo ihe Sanballat okwa tumu omupiya gwe gumwe kungame e na elaka etitano li li montumwafo yomontaneho. 6 Otali ti: “Geshem okwa lombwele ndje kutya omufofotolo ogu li miigwana yopuushiinda kutya ne Aajuda omwa hala okutukula oshipotha. Omolwashoka tamu tungulula edhingililokuma. Okwa ti ishewe, oto dhiladhila u ininge omukwaniilwa 7 nowa longekidha aahunganeki yamwe ya kugilile muJerusalem kutya ngoye omukwaniilwa gwaJuda. Iinima mbika otayi uvika komukwaniilwa, onkee nda dhiladhila, tse nangoye tu tsakanene, opo tu kundathane po nawa.”
8 Onde mu tumine eyamukulo tali ti: “Wa fundju, shoka to popi kashi shi shoshili.”
9 Oya kambadhala oku tu tilitha, ya kankameke iilonga. Onda galikana nda ti: “Ngashingeyi, Kalunga, nkondopaleka ndje.”
10 Esiku limwe onda ka talela po Shemaia yaDelaja, omutekulu gwaMehetabel, ngoka a li itaa vulu okuza maandjawo. Okwa ti kungame: “Natu ye, tu ka holame mela enene lyotempeli, tse tu pate omiyelo, molwaashoka otaye ya, ye ku dhipage. Uusiku wontumba otaye ya, ye ku dhipage.”
11 Onda yamukula nda ti: “Ngame, hatse yokufadhuka po nokuholama. Oto dhiladhila, omuntu ngangame ndi hupithe omwenyo gwandje nokuholama motempeli? Itandi shi ningi.”
12 Sho nda dhimbulula kutya Kalunga ina lombwela Shemaia, ndele oSanballat naTobia, mboka ye mu pe oombumbo, opo a londodhe ndje. 13 Oye mu futu, opo ya haluthe ndje, ndi yone yo ya vule okunyateka edhina lyandje noya fupipike ndje.
14 Onda galikana nda ti: “Kalunga, dhimbulukwa shoka Tobia naSanballat ya longo, ngoye u ya geele. Dhimbulukwa omuhunganeki omukulukadhi Noadia naahunganeki ooyakwawo ya kambadhala okutilitha ndje.”
Ehulitho lyiilonga
15 Sho pwa piti omasiku omilongo ntano nagaali, edhingililokuma alihe olya pu mesiku etimilongombali nagatano gomwedhi Elul. 16 Aatondi yetu miigwana ye tu kunduka sho ye shi uvu, oya haluka, oshoka oya li yu uvite kutya oshilonga shika osha longwa kekwatho lyaKalunga ketu.
17 Methimbo alihe aawiliki yaJuda oya li haa nyolelathana naTobia. 18 Aantu oyendji muJuda oya li ya gama kuye molwahemweno Omujuda, edhina lye Shekania yaArah. Niishewe, omwanamati Jehohanan okwa li a hokana omuna gwaMeshullam yaBerekia. 19 Oya hokololele ndje iilonga yaTobia iiwanawa noye mu hokololele ashihe shoka nda ti. Okwa li ha nyolele ndje oontumwafo ta tilitha ndje.
