1
Basi ikawa, walipoarifiwa Sanbalati, na Tobia, na Geshemu, Mwarabu na adui zetu hao wengine, kwamba nimeujenga ukuta, wala hayakusalia mavunjiko ndani yake; (ijapokuwa hata wakati ule sijaisimamisha 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 wakatuma wajumbe kwangu, wakasema, Njoo, tukutane huko vijijini katika nchi tambarare ya Ono. Walakini wakakusudi kunifanyia mabaya.
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
Na mimi nikatuma wajumbe kwao, nikasema, Hii ni kazi kubwa ninayoifanya mimi, hata nisiweze kushuka; mbona kazi ikome, hapo ninapoiacha, niwashukie?
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
Nao wakaniletea maneno kama hayo mara nne; nikawajibu maneno kama yale.
Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5
Ndipo Sanbalati akamtuma kwangu mtumwa wake vile vile mara ya tano, na barua 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
nayo yakaandikwa humo, Habari imeenea katika mataifa, naye Geshemu asema neno lilo hilo, ya kwamba wewe na Wayahudi mwakusudi kuasi; ndiyo sababu waujenga huo ukuta; nawe wataka kuwamiliki, ndivyo wasemavyo.
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 umewaweka manabii ili wakuhubirie huko Yerusalemu, kusema, Yuko mfalme katika Yuda; basi sasa ataarifiwa mfalme sawasawa na maneno haya. Njoo sasa basi, na tufanye shauri pamoja.
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
Ndipo mimi nikatuma kwake wajumbe, kusema, Hakukufanyika mambo kama hayo uyasemayo, lakini kwa moyo wako wewe mwenyewe 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
Kwani hao wote walitaka kutuogofisha, wakisema, Italegea mikono yao katika kazi, isifanyike. Lakini sasa nitaitia mikono yangu nguvu.
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
Nikaingia nyumbani kwa Shemaya, mwana wa Delaya, mwana wa Mehetabeli, aliyekuwa amefungwa; naye akasema, Tukutane nyumbani mwa Mungu, ndani ya hekalu, tukaifunge milango ya hekalu; kwa maana watakuja kukuua; naam, wakati wa usiku watakuja 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
Nami nikasema, Je! Mtu kama mimi nikimbie? Naye ni nani, akiwa kama nilivyo mimi, atakayeingia hekaluni ili kuponya maisha yake? 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
Nikatambua, na tazama, siye Mungu aliyemtuma; lakini amefanya unabii huu kinyume changu; nao Tobia na Sanbalati ndio waliomwajiri.
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
Kwa sababu hii aliajiriwa, ili mimi niogope, nikafanye hivyo na kutenda dhambi, kisha wao wawe nazo habari mbaya, ili wanishutumie.
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
Uwakumbuke, Ee Mungu wangu, Tobia na Sanbalati sawasawa na hayo matendo yao, na yule nabii mke Noadia, na hao manabii waliosalia, waliotaka kuniogofya.
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
Basi huo ukuta ukamalizika siku ya ishirini na tano ya mwezi wa Eluli, katika muda wa siku hamsini na mbili.
So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
16
Ikawa adui zetu wote waliposikia, ndipo makafiri wote waliotuzunguka wakaogopa, nao wakakata tamaa sana machoni pao wenyewe; maana waliitambua kazi hiyo ilivyotendwa na 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
Tena siku zile wakuu wa Yuda walimletea Tobia nyaraka nyingi, nazo nyaraka za Tobia zikawafikilia.
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them.
18
Kwa maana walikuwa watu wengi katika Yuda waliomwapia, kwa sababu alikuwa mkwewe Shekania, mwana wa Ara; naye Yehohanani mwanawe amemwoa binti 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
Tena waliyanena mema yake mbele yangu, nayo maneno yangu humwambia yeye. Tobia naye akaniletea mimi nyaraka za kuniogofisha.
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.