Plots against Nehemiah
1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the rest of our enemies heard that we had finished building the wall and that there were no gaps left in it, although we still had not set up the gates in the gateways. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message, suggesting that I meet with them in one of the villages in the Plain of Ono. This was a trick of theirs to try to harm me. 3 I sent messengers to say to them, “I am doing important work and can't go down there. I am not going to let the work stop just to go and see you.”
4 They sent me the same message four times, and each time I sent them the same reply.
5 Then Sanballat sent one of his servants to me with a fifth message, this one in the form of an unsealed letter. 6 It read:
“Geshem tells me that a rumor is going around among the neighboring peoples that you and the Jewish people intend to revolt and that this is why you are rebuilding the wall. He also says you plan to make yourself king 7 and that you have arranged for some prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem that you are the king of Judah. His Majesty is certain to hear about this, so I suggest that you and I meet to talk the situation over.”8 I sent a reply to him: “Nothing of what you are saying is true. You have made it all up yourself.”
9 They were trying to frighten us into stopping work. I prayed, “But now, God, make me strong!”
10 About this time I went to visit Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was unable to leave his house. He said to me, “You and I must go and hide together in the Holy Place of the Temple and lock the doors, because they are coming to kill you. Any night now they will come to kill you.”
11 I answered, “I'm not the kind of person that runs and hides. Do you think I would try to save my life by hiding in the Temple? I won't do it.”
12 When I thought it over, I realized that God had not spoken to Shemaiah, but that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him to give me this warning. 13 They hired him to frighten me into sinning, so that they could ruin my reputation and humiliate me.
14 I prayed, “God, remember what Tobiah and Sanballat have done and punish them. Remember that woman Noadiah and all the other prophets who tried to frighten me.”
The Conclusion of the Work
15 After fifty-two days of work the entire wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. 16 When our enemies in the surrounding nations heard this, they realized that they had lost face, since everyone knew that the work had been done with God's help.
17 During all this time the Jewish leaders had been in correspondence with Tobiah. 18 Many people in Judah were on his side because of his Jewish father-in-law, Shecaniah son of Arah. In addition, his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 People would talk in front of me about all the good deeds Tobiah had done and would tell him everything I said. And he kept sending me letters to try 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.
