Nehemja 6
1 Då Saneballat, Tobia och Gesem den Araben, och andre våre fiender förnummo, att jag murarna byggt hade, och intet gap var mer deruppå; ändock jag ändå på den tiden icke upphängt hade dörrarna i portomen,
Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and our other enemies heard [a report] that we had finished rebuilding the wall, and that now there were no more (gaps/places where the wall was not finished) (although we had not yet put the doors in the gates).
2 Sände Saneballat och Gesem till mig, och läto säga mig: Kom, och låt oss komma tillsammans på bygdene, på slättene vid den staden Ono. Och de aktade göra mig ondt.
So Sanballat and Geshem sent [a message] to me, in which they said “Come and talk with us at a place in Ono Plain [north of Jerusalem].” But [I knew that] really they wanted to harm me [if I went there].
3 Men jag sände båd till dem, och lät säga dem; Jag hafver ett stort verk till att uträtta, jag kan icke komma neder; det måtte försummadt blifva, om jag tager handena af, och far neder till eder.
So I sent messengers to them, to tell them, “I am doing an important work, and I cannot go down [there]. (Why should I stop doing this work just to go down to [talk with] you?/I do not want to stop doing this work just to go down to [talk with] you.)” [RHQ]
4 De sände väl fyra gånger till mig vid samma sinnet; och jag svarade dem allt vid samma sätt.
They sent me the same message four times, and each time when I replied to them I said the same thing.
5 Då sände Saneballat femte gången sin tjenare till mig, med ett öppet bref i hans hand.
Then Sanballat sent one of his servants to me, bringing a fifth message. This one was written, but it was not sealed. [He did that in order that others would read the message that the servant was carrying] in his hand.
6 Derutinnan var skrifvet: Det är kommet för Hedningarna, och Gesem hafver det sagt, att du och Judarna viljen affalla; derföre uppbygger du murarna, och du vill vara deras Konung i denna sakene.
This is what was written in the message: “Some people in the nearby countries have heard a report that you and the other Jews are rebuilding the wall [in order to be able to resist attacks], because you are planning to revolt [against the king of Babylon]. And the report also says that you are planning to become the king [of the Israelis]. Geshem says that what they have reported is true.
7 Och du hafver beställt dig Propheter, som om dig skola utropa i Jerusalem, och säga: Han är Juda Konung. Sådant kommer för Konungen. Så kom nu, låt oss rådslå med hvarannan.
[People are also saying that] you have appointed some prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem that you, [Nehemiah, ] are now the king in Judea. King [Artaxerxes] will certainly hear these reports, [and then you will be in big trouble]. So I suggest that we should meet together to talk about this matter.”
8 Men jag sände till honom, och lät säga honom: Detta är icke skedt, som du säger, du hafver diktat det af ditt hjerta.
[When I read that message, ] I sent [the messenger] back to Sanballat to say, “None of what you are saying is true. You have (made this up/concocted this) in your own head/mind.”
9 Ty de ville alle rädda oss, och mente: De varda aflåtande af arbetet, och varda stille. Men jag förstärkte mina hand desto mer.
[I said that because I knew that] they were trying to cause us to be afraid, with the result that we would stop working [on the wall]. So I actually became more determined (OR, I prayed to God to help me) [to continue the work].
10 Och jag kom uti Semaja hus, Delaja sons, Mehetabeels sons, och han hade innelyckt sig; och sade: Låt oss komma tillhopa i Guds hus, midt i templet, och sluta dörrarna till af templet; förty de varda kommande till att dräpa dig, och komma om nattena, att de skola slå dig ihjäl.
[One day] I went to talk with Shemaiah, son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel. I went to talk with him in his house, because he was not able (OR, allowed) to leave his house. He said to me, “You and I must enter the very sacred place in the temple and lock the doors, because people are going to come to kill you at night.”
11 Men jag sade: Skulle en sådana man fly? Skulle en sådana man, som jag är, gå uti templet, på det han skall blifva lefvandes? Jag vill icke gå derin.
I replied, “I (am not that kind of person/do not do things like that) [RHQ]! I would not run and hide in the temple to save my life! No, I will not do that!”
12 Ty jag förmärkte, att Gud hade intet sändt honom. Han spådde väl sådant om mig; men Tobia och Saneballat hade gifvit honom penningar.
When I thought [about what he had said], I realized that God had not told Shemaiah to say that to me. I realized that Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him [to say that to me].
13 Derföre tog han penningar, på det jag skulle taga en fruktan till mig, och göra så, och synda; och de skulle hafva ett ondt rop uppå mig, dermed de måtte förlasta mig.
They had bribed him to cause me to be afraid. They wanted me to [disobey God’s commands and] sin [by hiding in the temple]. If I did that, they would be able to ruin my reputation [MTY] and discredit me.
14 Tänk, min Gud, på Tobia och Saneballat, efter dessa deras gerningar, och på Propheten Noadja, och de andra Propheterna, som mig afskräcka ville.
[So I prayed, ] “My God, do not forget what Tobiah and Sanballat have done. Punish them. And do not forget that the female prophet Noadiah and some of the other prophets have also tried to cause me to be afraid.”
15 Och muren vardt redo på femte och tjugonde dagen af den månaden Elul, i två och femtio dagar.
On October 2 we finished rebuilding the wall. We did it all in 52 days.
16 Och då alle våre fiender det hörde, fruktade sig alle Hedningar, som omkring oss voro, och deras mod förföll dem; förty de märkte, att detta verk var af Gudi.
When our enemies in the nearby countries heard about that, they realized that they had been humiliated, because everyone knew that it was because God helped us that we had been able to do this work [and that they had not been able to force us to quit].
17 Voro ock på den tiden månge af Juda öfverstar, hvilkas bref gingo till Tobia; och ifrå Tobia till dem.
During this time, the Jewish leaders had been sending many messages/letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah had been sending messages back to them.
18 Ty de voro månge i Juda, som honom besvorne voro; förty han var Sechania svåger, Arahs sons; och hans son Johanan hade Mesullams dotter, Berechia sons.
Many people in Judea were closely associated with Tobiah, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah. Furthermore, Tobiah’s son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berekiah.
19 Och de talade godt om honom för mig, och förde mitt tal ut för honom. Så sände nu Tobia bref till att afskräcka mig.
People often talked in my presence about all the good things that Tobiah had done, and then they would tell him everything that I said. So Tobiah sent many letters to me to try to cause me to become afraid.
