Nehemia 6
1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala sy Tobia sy Gasema Arabo mbamin’ ny namany fahavalonay fa efa nanao ny manda aho, ka tsy nisy banga intsony teo (kanefa tamin’ izany andro izany tsy mbola voalatsako ny lela-vavahady),
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—
2 dia naniraka ho any amiko Sanbala sy Gasema ka nanao hoe: Avia isika hihaona ao amin’ izay vohitra anankiray amin’ ny tany lemak’ i Ono. Kanjo nikasa hanisy ratsy ahy izy roa lahy.
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.
3 Dia naniraka olona hankany aminy kosa aho hanao hoe: Asa lehibe no ataoko, ka tsy afa-midìna aho; nahoana no hilaozako midìna any aminareo ny asa ka hatsahatra?
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?”
4 Kanefa mbola naniraka tamiko inefatra araka izany ihany izy; ary izaho kosa dia mbola namaly azy toy izany ihany koa.
They sent me the same message four times, and every time my reply was the same.
5 Dia nirahin’ i Sanbala fanindiminy ny zatovony hankeo amiko araka izany ihany, nitondra taratasy nivelatra teny an-tànany,
Sanballat sent me the same message the fifth time by his servant, who brought in his hand an open letter.
6 izay nisy soratra hoe: Efa mahoraka any amin’ ny firenena maro izao teny izao, sady lazain’ i Gasema hoe: Hianao sy ny Jiosy dia mikasa hikomy, ka izany no anaovanao ny manda, ary araka izany teny izany dia mikasa ho mpanjakany, hono, ianao,
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,
7 sady efa nanendry ny mpaminany maro hilaza anao any Jerosalema hoe Mpanjaka any Joda; ary ankehitriny dia ho ren’ ny mpanjaka izany teny izany; koa avia isika hiara-mihevitra.
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.”
8 Dia naniraka ho any aminy aho hanao hoe: Tsy marina izany zavatra lazainao izany, fa tao am-ponao ihany no namoronanao izany.
I replied, telling him, “Nothing's happening like you're saying! In fact you're just making it all up!”
9 Fa ta-hampahatahotra anay izy rehetra, ka hoy izy: Ho kivy amin’ ny asa izy ka tsy hahatontosa. Koa ankehitriny ampaherezo e ny tanako!
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!
10 Ary izaho dia tonga tao an-tranon’ i Semaia, zanak’ i Delaia, zanak’ i Mehetabela, izay nihidy trano tao; dia hoy izy: Andeha isika hiditra ao an-tranon’ Andriamanitra ao anatin’ ny tempoly, ary aoka harindrintsika ny varavarana, fa ho avy hamono anao izy, eny, ho avy alina hamono anao izy.
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!”
11 Fa hoy izaho: Moa ny lehilahy tahaka ahy tokony handositra va? Ary iza no olona tahaka ahy no mahazo miditra ao amin’ ny tempoly ka ho velona? Tsy hiditra ao aho.
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!”
12 Ary hitako fa, indro, tsy Andriamanitra no naniraka azy, fa nilaza izany faminaniana izany hamitahany ahy izy, satria notambazan’ i Tobia sy Sanbala.
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.
13 Izany no nanambazany azy, mba hampitahotra ahy hanaovako izany ka hanotako, dia hahazoany teny tatsy hanaratsiany ahy.
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.
14 Ry Andriamanitro ô, tsarovy Tobia sy Sanbala araka izany asany izany mbamin’ i Noadia mpaminanivavy sy ny mpaminany sasany koa, izay nampitahotra ahy.
My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for doing this, and Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets too who tried to frighten me.
15 Dia vita tamin’ ny roa amby dimam-poloandro ny manda, dia tamin’ ny andro faha-dimy amby roa-polo tamin’ ny volana Elola.
The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. It took fifty-two days.
16 Ary rehefa ren’ ny fahavalonay rehetra izany, dia raiki-tahotra ny firenena rehetra manodidina anay, sady hitany fa tsinontsinona izy; ary fantany fa Andriamanitray no nahavitàna izany asa izany.
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.
17 Ary tamin’ izany andro izany ny manan-kaja amin’ ny Joda dia nampitondra taratasy maro ho any amin’ i Tobia, ary ny avy tamin’ i Tobia kosa tonga tany aminy.
At that time the nobles of Judah were exchanging many letters with Tobiah,
18 Fa nisy maro tany Joda efa nianiana niray tetika taminy, satria vinanton’ i Sekania, zanak’ i Ara, izy; ary Johanana zananilahy efa nanambady ny zanakavavin’ i Mesolama, zanak’ i Berekia.
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.
19 Ary nisy koa teo anatrehako nilaza ny soa nataony ary nilaza ny teniko tany aminy kosa. Ary Tobia kosa nampitondra taratasy hampitahotra ahy.
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.
