Nehemia 6
1 Wakati Sanbalati, Tobia, Geshemu Mwarabu na adui zetu wengine waliposikia kwamba nilijenga upya ukuta na kwamba hakuna sehemu yoyote iliyoachwa ya wazi, ingawa sijawaweka milango katika malango,
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left—though to that time I had not yet installed the doors in the gates—
2 Sanbalati na Geshemu akatuma wajumbe akasema, “Njoni, tukutane pamoja mahali fulani katika tambarare ya Ono.” Lakini walitaka kunidhuru.
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me.
3 Niliwatuma wajumbe kwao, nikasema, “Ninafanya kazi kubwa na siwezi kushuka. Kwa nini kazi isimame wakati nitakapoondoka na kuja kwako?”
So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to go down to you?”
4 Walituma ujumbe huo huo mara nne, na mimi niliwajibu vile vile kila wakati.
Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5 Sanbalati alimtuma mtumishi wake kwangu kwa njia ile ile mara ya tano, na barua iliyo wazi mkononi mwake.
The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter
6 Imeandikwa, “Inaripotiwa kati ya mataifa, na Geshemu pia anasema, kwamba wewe na Wayahudi mna mpango wa kuasi, kwa sababu hiyo ndio mnajenga ukuta. Kutokana na taarifa hizi, unakaribia kuwa mfalme wao.
that read: “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and this is why you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king,
7 Nawe umewachagua manabii kutangaza habari zako juu ya Yerusalemu, wakisema, “Kuna mfalme huko Yuda!” Unaweza kuwa na hakika mfalme atasikia ripoti hizi. Basi, hebu njoo tuzungumze.
and you have even appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: ‘There is a king in Judah.’ Soon these rumors will reach the ears of the king. So come, let us confer together.”
8 Kisha nikamtuma neno nikisema, “mambo kama hayo hayajafanyika kama unavyosema, kwa maana ndani ya moyo wako umeyabuni.”
Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”
9 Kwa maana wote walitaka kututisha, wakifikiri, “Wataacha mikono yao kufanya kazi hiyo, na haitafanyika.” Lakini sasa, Mungu, tafadhali imarisha mikono yangu.
For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
10 Nikaenda nyumbani kwa Shemaya mwana wa Delaya, mwana wa Mehetabeli, aliyefungwa nyumbani mwake. Akasema, “Hebu tukutane pamoja katika nyumba ya Mungu, ndani ya hekalu, na tufunge milango ya hekalu, kwa maana wanakuja kukuua. Usiku wanakuja kukuua.”
Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you— by night they are coming to kill you!”
11 Nikajibu, “Je! Mtu kama mimi ninaweza kukimbia? Na mtu kama mimi ninaweza kuingia hekaluni ili nipate kuishi? Sitaingia.”
But I replied, “Should a man like me run away? Should one like me go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go!”
12 Niligundua kwamba sio Mungu aliyemtuma, lakini alikuwa amefanya unabii dhidi yangu. Tobia na Sanbalati walimwajiri.
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Walimpa kazi kunifanya niwe na hofu, ili nifanye kile alichosema na kutenda dhambi, hivyo wangeweza kunipa jina baya ili kuniaibisha.
He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.
14 Mungu wangu, wakumbuke Tobia na Sanbalati, na yote waliyofanya. Pia mkumbuke nabii Noadia na manabii wengine ambao walijaribu kunifanya niogope.
O my God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who tried to intimidate me.
15 Kwa hiyo ukuta ukamalizika siku ya ishirini na tano ya mwezi wa Eluli, baada ya siku hamsini na mbili.
So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
16 Adui zetu wote waliposikia hayo, mataifa yote yaliyotuzunguka, waliogopa na wakakata tamaa sana machoni pao wenyewe. Kwa maana walijua kazi hiyo ilifanyika kwa msaada wa Mungu wetu.
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and disheartened, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
17 Wakati huu wakuu wa Yuda walituma barua nyingi kwa Tobia, na barua za Tobia zikawajia.
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.
18 Kwa maana walikuwa wengi huko Yuda waliofungwa kwa kiapo chake, kwa sababu alikuwa mkwewe Shekania, mwana wa Ara. Mwanawe Yehohanani alikuwa amekuwa mkewe Meshulamu mwana wa Berekia.
For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was a son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.
19 Pia walizungumza nami kuhusu matendo yake mema na kumwambia maneno yangu. Barua zililetwa kwangu kutoka kwa Tobia kunitisha.
Moreover, these nobles kept reporting to me Tobiah’s good deeds, and they relayed my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
