< Nehemiah 6 >
1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and our other enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and there were no gaps left—though at that time I still had not put the doors into the gates—
Na 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,
2 they sent a message to me, saying, “Come on, let's meet in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they intended to kill me.
Sanibalati na Geshemu makĩndũmĩra ndũmĩrĩri ĩno: “Ũka, reke tũcemanie itũũra-inĩ rĩmwe werũ-inĩ wa Ono.” No rĩrĩ, maathugundaga kũnjĩka ũũru;
3 So I sent messengers to tell them, “I'm busy with important work and I can't come down. Why should I stop what I'm doing and leave it to come and see you?”
nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmatũmĩra andũ mamacookerie atĩrĩ: “Ndĩ na wĩra wa bata ndĩraruta, ndingĩhota gũikũrũka njũke. Wĩra ũngĩkĩrũgamio nĩkĩ, atĩ nyambe njikũrũke kũrĩ inyuĩ?”
4 They sent me the same message four times, and every time my reply was the same.
Maandũmĩire ndũmĩrĩri ta ĩyo maita mana, na o hĩndĩ ndaacookagia icookio rĩu.
5 Sanballat sent me the same message the fifth time by his servant, who brought in his hand an open letter.
Ihinda rĩa gatano Sanibalati akĩndũmĩra ndungata yake na ndũmĩrĩri o ro ĩyo, ĩkuuĩte marũa mataarĩ matume,
6 The letter read: “People around are saying, and Geshem confirms it, that you and the Jews are planning a rebellion, and that's why you're building the wall. You also plan to become their king, so they say,
marĩa 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
7 and you have even arranged for prophets in Jerusalem to announce for you, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ The king will soon get to hear about this. So come, and let's talk this over.”
na 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.”
8 I replied, telling him, “Nothing's happening like you're saying! In fact you're just making it all up!”
Na niĩ ngĩkĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ: “Gũtirĩ ũndũ ta ũcio ũroiga ũrekĩka; nĩ gwĩthugundĩra ũrethugundĩra ũhoro ũcio meciiria-inĩ maku.”
9 They were all just trying to scare us, telling themselves, “They won't have the strength to work so it won't ever get finished.” But I prayed, now make me strong!
Andũ 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.”
10 Later on, I went to Shemaiah's house (he was the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel) who had shut himself in his house. He said: “Come and meet me at the house of God inside the Temple. Then we can bolt the Temple doors shut because they are coming to kill you! They're coming to kill you tonight!”
Mũthenya 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.”
11 I replied, “Should someone like me run away? Should someone like me go and hide in the Temple so I can survive? I'm not going!”
No ngĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ta niĩ nĩagĩrĩirwo nĩ kũũra? Kana mũndũ ta niĩ nĩagĩrĩirwo kwĩhitha thĩinĩ wa hekarũ ahonokie muoyo wake? Niĩ ndigũthiĩ!”
12 I thought about it and saw that God hadn't sent him, but that he had spoken this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Nĩndamenyire atĩ ti Ngai wamũtũmĩte, no aandathagĩra ũũru tondũ Tobia na Sanibalati nĩmamũrĩhĩte eke ũguo.
13 They'd hired him thinking I'd be scared into doing something wrong. Then they'd be able to point the finger and ruin my reputation.
Aarĩhĩtwo nĩguo atũme ndĩtigĩre nĩgeetha ndeka ũguo njĩhie, ngĩe na rĩĩtwa rĩũru nao mone njĩra ya kũũmenithia.
14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for doing this, and Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets too who tried to frighten me.
Wee 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.
15 The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. It took fifty-two days.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, rũthingo rũu rwarĩĩkire thuutha wa mĩthenya mĩrongo ĩtano na ĩĩrĩ, mũthenya wa mĩrongo ĩĩrĩ na ĩtano, mweri-inĩ wa Eluli.
16 When all our enemies found out they were frightened; all the nations around were very discouraged, for they recognized that this had been done by our God.
Rĩrĩa 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.
17 At that time the nobles of Judah were exchanging many letters with Tobiah,
Ningĩ matukũ-inĩ macio, andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a Juda nĩmatũmagĩra Tobia marũa maingĩ, nao nĩmanyiitaga macookio kuuma kũrĩ Tobia.
18 because many people in Judah had sworn an oath of loyalty to him as he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan was married to the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah.
Nĩgũkorwo 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.
19 They kept on telling me all the good things Tobiah was doing, and they reported to him what I said. Tobiah also sent letters to try and scare me.
Na ningĩ nĩmaikaraga makĩĩheaga ũhoro wa ciĩko ciake njega magacooka makamwĩra ũrĩa na niĩ njugĩte. Nake Tobia akaandũmagĩra marũa ma gũtũma ndĩĩtigĩre.