< Nehemiah 6 >
1 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no longer any sections left broken open, although I had not yet set up the doors in the gates,
Habari zilipofika kwa Sanbalati, Tobia, Geshemu Mwarabu, na adui zetu wengine kwamba nimejenga tena ukuta na hakuna nafasi iliyobakia ndani mwake, ingawa mpaka wakati huo sikuwa nimeweka milango kwenye malango,
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me saying, “Come, let us meet together somewhere in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do harm to me.
Sanbalati na Geshemu wakanitumia ujumbe huu: “Njoo, tukutane katika mojawapo ya vijiji katika nchi tambarare ya Ono.” Lakini walikuwa wakikusudia kunidhuru.
3 I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”
Kwa hiyo niliwatuma wajumbe kwao na majibu haya: “Kazi ninayoifanya ni kubwa sana, siwezi kuja. Kwa nini niiache kazi isimame nije kwenu?”
4 They sent me the same message four times, and I answered them the same way each time.
Mara nne walinitumia ujumbe wa namna iyo hiyo, na kila mara niliwapa jibu lile lile.
5 Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.
Basi, mara ya tano, Sanbalati akamtuma msaidizi wake kwangu akiwa na ujumbe wa aina ile ile, naye alikuwa amechukua mkononi mwake barua isiyofungwa,
6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, for that is why you are rebuilding the wall. From what these reports say, you are about to become their king.
iliyokuwa imeandikwa: “Habari imeenezwa miongoni mwa mataifa, naye Geshemu anasema kwamba ni kweli, kuwa wewe na Wayahudi mnafanya hila ya kuasi, ndiyo sababu mnajenga ukuta. Zaidi ya hayo, kufuatana na taarifa hizi, karibuni utakuwa mfalme wao,
7 You have also appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah!' You can be sure the king will hear these reports. Therefore come, let us speak with one another.”
na hata umewateua manabii wafanye tangazo hili kukuhusu wewe huko Yerusalemu: ‘Yuko mfalme katika Yuda!’ Sasa taarifa hii itarudishwa kwa mfalme. Basi njoo, tufanye shauri pamoja.”
8 Then I sent word to him saying, “No such things have occurred as you say, for within your heart you invented them.”
Nilimpelekea jibu hili: “Hakuna jambo kama hilo unalosema linalofanyika. Unalitunga tu kwenye kichwa chako.”
9 For they all wanted to make us afraid, thinking, “They will drop their hands from doing the work, and it will not be done.” But now, God, please strengthen my hands.
Wote walikuwa wakijaribu kutuogopesha, wakifikiri hivi: “Mikono ya watu italegea kiasi kwamba hawataweza kufanya kazi, nayo haitakamilika.” Lakini niliomba, “Ee Mungu, sasa nitie mikono yangu nguvu.”
10 I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah son of Mehetabel, who was confined in his home. He said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. At night they are coming to kill you.”
Siku moja nilikwenda nyumbani kwa Shemaya mwana wa Delaya, mwana wa Mehetabeli, ambaye alikuwa amefungwa ndani ya nyumba yake. Akasema, “Tukutane katika nyumba ya Mungu, ndani ya Hekalu, na tufunge milango ya Hekalu, kwa sababu watu wanakuja kukuua. Naam, wanakuja usiku kukuua.”
11 I replied, “Would a man like me run away? Would a man like me go into the temple just so he could save his own life? I will not go in!”
Lakini nikasema, “Je, mtu kama mimi akimbie? Au mtu kama mimi aende Hekaluni kuokoa maisha yake? Sitakwenda!”
12 I realized that it was not God who sent him, but that he had prophesied against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
Nilitambua kwamba Mungu hakumtuma, bali alitabiri dhidi yangu kwa sababu Tobia na Sanbalati walikuwa wamemwajiri.
13 They hired him to make me afraid, so that I might do what he said and sin, so they could give me a bad name in order to humiliate me.
Alikuwa ameajiriwa kunitisha ili kwa kufanya jambo hili nitende dhambi, kisha waweze kuniharibia jina langu na kuniaibisha.
14 Call to mind Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, and all that they did. Also call to mind the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who tried to make me be afraid.
Ee Mungu wangu, wakumbuke Tobia na Sanbalati kwa sababu ya yale waliyotenda. Pia kumbuka nabii mke Noadia na manabii wengine ambao wamekuwa wakijaribu kunitisha.
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, after fifty-two days.
Basi ukuta ukakamilika siku ya ishirini na tano mwezi wa Eluli, kazi ambayo ilichukua siku hamsini na mbili.
16 When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us, they became afraid and they fell greatly in their own eyes. For they knew the work was done with the help of our God.
Adui zetu wote waliposikia kuhusu hili, mataifa yote yaliyotuzunguka yakaogopa na kupoteza ujasiri, kwa sababu yalitambua kuwa kazi hii imefanyika kwa msaada wa Mungu wetu.
17 At this time the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
Pia katika siku hizo wakuu wa Yuda walikuwa wakituma barua nyingi kwa Tobia, nayo majibu yaliyotoka kwa Tobia yaliendelea kuwajia.
18 For there were many in Judah who were bound by an oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jehohanan had taken as his wife the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
Kwa kuwa watu wengi katika Yuda walikuwa wamemwapia Tobia, kwani alikuwa mkwewe Shekania mwana wa Ara, na Yehohanani mwanawe alikuwa amemwoa binti wa Meshulamu mwana wa Berekia.
19 They also spoke to me about his good deeds and reported my words back to him. Letters were sent to me from Tobiah to frighten me.
Zaidi ya hayo, walikuwa wakiniarifu jinsi Tobia alivyo mtu mwema, nao walimwambia kila kitu nilichosema. Naye Tobia alituma barua za kunitisha.