Nehemia 6
1 Bere a Sanbalat, Tobia, Arabni Gesem ne yɛn atamfo nkae no huu sɛ masiesie ɔfasu no awie a ɔkwan biara nneda ntam; nanso saa bere no na minsisii apon no,
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 Sanbalat ne Gesem de nkra brɛɛ me se, minhyia wɔn wɔ nkuraa no baako a ɛwɔ Ono tataw so hɔ. Nanso mihuu sɛ wɔrepam me ti so,
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 enti memaa wɔn mmuae se, “Mereyɛ adwuma kɛse bi a merentumi nnyae mmehyia mo.”
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 Wɔmaa me saa nkra no mpɛn anan. Ne nyinaa mu no, memaa mmuae koro no ara.
They sent me the same message four times, and every time my reply was the same.
5 Ne mpɛn anum so no, Sanbalat somfo bae no na okura krataa a wɔakyerɛw.
Sanballat sent me the same message the fifth time by his servant, who brought in his hand an open letter.
6 Na krataa no mu nsɛm ni: “Gesem aka akyerɛ me se, baabiara a ɔbɛkɔ no, ɔte sɛ wo ne Yudafo no repam atew atua; ɛno nti na woresiesie ɔfasu no. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, wopɛ sɛ wubedi wɔn so hene,
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 na mpo, woayi adiyifo bi sɛ wɔnhyɛ wo ho nkɔm wɔ Yerusalem se, ‘Monhwɛ! Ɔhene bi wɔ Yuda!’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wugye to mu sɛ, saa asɛm yi beduu ɔhene aso mu, enti ɛsɛ sɛ woba, na wo ne me bɛka ho asɛm.”
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 Mibuae se, “Wunim sɛ woretwa atoro. Asɛm a woreka no, nokware baako koraa nni mu.”
I replied, telling him, “Nothing's happening like you're saying! In fact you're just making it all up!”
9 Huna na na wɔpɛ sɛ wohunahuna yɛn. Na wususuw sɛ wobetumi abu yɛn aba mu na yegyae adwuma no yɛ. Ɛno nti, mebɔɔ mpae sɛ menya ahoɔden de atoa dwumadi no so.
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 Akyiri no, mekɔsraa Delaia babarima a ɔyɛ Mehetabel nena Semaia a ɔhyɛ ne fi na ɔnkɔ baabiara no. Ɔkae se, “Ma yenhyia wɔ Onyankopɔn asɔredan no mu, na yɛmmram apon no akyi. Wʼatamfo reba abekum wo anadwo yi.”
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 Na mibuae se, “Enti ɛsɛ sɛ obi a ɔte sɛ me guan amanehunu ana? Enti ɛsɛ sɛ obi a ɔte sɛ me bɛkɔ akohintaw Asɔredan mu de apere me nkwa ana? Dabi, merenyɛ saa!”
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 Mihuu sɛ Onyankopɔn nkasa nkyerɛɛ no, na ne nkɔm a ɔhyɛe no tia me, efisɛ Tobia ne Sanbalat abɔ no paa.
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 Na wosusuw sɛ wobehunahuna me, na mafa nʼadwenkyerɛ no so ayɛ bɔne, na wɔnam so abɔ me sobo, asɛe me din.
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 Me Nyankopɔn, kae bɔne a Tobia ne Sanbalat ayɛ no nyinaa. Na kae odiyifobea Noadia ne adiyifo a wɔte sɛ ɔno a wɔpɛe sɛ wohunahuna me no.
My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for doing this, and Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets too who tried to frighten me.
15 Enti Elul ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) da a ɛto so abien no, wowiee ɔfasu no asiesie, nnafua aduonum abien a wofii dwumadi no ase no mu.
The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. It took fifty-two days.
16 Bere a yɛn atamfo ne aman a wɔatwa yɛn ho ahyia tee no, wosuroe, na ɛma wɔbotowee. Wohuu sɛ Onyankopɔn mmoa na wɔde ayɛ adwuma no.
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 Saa nnafua aduonum abien no mu no, nkrataa bebree dii akɔneaba wɔ Tobia ne Yuda adwumayɛfo no ntam.
At that time the nobles of Judah were exchanging many letters with Tobiah,
18 Efisɛ na Yudafo bebree aka ntam sɛ, wɔbɛsom no. Afei, na Tobia ase ne Arah babarima Sekania. Na Sekania babarima Yehohanan nso aware Berekia babarima Mesulam babea.
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 Wɔkɔɔ so kaa sɛnea Tobia ho yɛ nwonwa fa no kyerɛɛ me, na wɔkaa biribiara a mekae nso kyerɛɛ no. Na Tobia de ahunahuna nkrataa bebree brɛɛ me.
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.
