Plots against Nehemiah
1 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and our other enemies learned that I had completely rebuilt the wall. All I lacked was hanging the doors in the gates. 2 Then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message, asking me to meet with them in one of the villages in Ono Valley. I knew they were planning to harm me in some way. 3 So I sent messengers to tell them, “My work is too important to stop now and go there. I can't afford to slow down the work just to visit with you.” 4 They invited me four times, but each time I refused to go.
5 Finally, Sanballat sent an official to me with an unsealed letter, 6 which said:
A rumor is going around among the nations that you and the other Jews are rebuilding the wall and planning to rebel, because you want to be their king. And Geshem says it's true! 7 You even have prophets in Jerusalem, claiming you are now the king of Judah. You know the Persian king will hear about this, so let's get together and talk it over.
8 I sent a message back to Sanballat, saying, “None of this is true! You are making it all up.”
9 Our enemies were trying to frighten us and to keep us from our work. But I asked God to give me strength.
10 One day I went to visit Shemaiah. He wasn't supposed to leave his house, but he said, “Let's hurry to the holy place of the temple and hide there. We will lock the temple doors, because your enemies are planning to kill you tonight.”
11 I answered, “Why should someone like me have to run and hide in the temple to save my life? I won't go!”
12 Suddenly I realized that God had not given Shemaiah this message. But Tobiah and Sanballat had paid him to trick me 13 and to frighten me into doing something wrong, because they wanted to ruin my good name.
14 Then I asked God to punish Tobiah and Sanballat for what they had done. I prayed that God would punish the prophet Noadiah and the other prophets who, together with her, had tried to frighten me.
The Work Is Finished
15 On the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, the wall was completely rebuilt. It had taken 52 days. 16 When our enemies in the surrounding nations learned that the work was finished, they felt helpless, because they knew that our God had helped us rebuild the wall.
17 All this time the Jewish leaders and Tobiah had been writing letters back and forth. 18 Many people in Judah were loyal to Tobiah for two reasons: Shecaniah son of Arah was his father-in-law, and Tobiah's son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 19 The people would always tell me about the good things Tobiah had done, and then they would tell Tobiah everything I had said. So Tobiah kept sending letters, trying to frighten me.
Pretinieku intrigas
1 Kad Sanballats, Tobīja, arābs Gešems un pārējie mūsu ienaidnieki uzzināja, ka esmu atjaunojis mūri un tajā nav atstātas plaisas – kaut gan līdz tam laikam es vēl nebiju ielicis vārtos aizvirtņus –, 2 Sanballats un Gešems sūtīja pie manis teikt: “Nāc, tiksimies kādā ciemā Ono līdzenumā.” Bet viņi gribēja man darīt ļaunu. 3 Es sūtīju pie viņiem vēstnešus, lai saka: “Man ir daudz darba, tāpēc nevaru doties lejā, jo, ja es ietu lejā pie jums, tad darbi apstātos.” 4 Četras reizes viņi mani aicināja līdzīgiem vārdiem, un es viņiem atbildēju tāpat.
5 Tad piektajā reizē Sanballats sūtīja pie manis savu puisi ar atvērtu vēstuli, 6 kurā bija rakstīts: “Apkārtējās tautas un Gešems saka: jūs, jūdi, esat nodomājuši sacelties un tādēļ tu cel mūri. Runā, ka tu būšot viņiem ķēniņš! 7 Tu arī esi iecēlis praviešus, lai tevi Jeruzālemē ieceļ par jūdu ķēniņu. Tagad to uzzinās ķēniņš, tādēļ nāc kopīgi apspriesties!”
8 Tad es sūtīju, lai viņam saka: “Tas, ko tu saki, nav taisnība, to tu esi sagudrojis!” 9 Taču viņi visi mūs baidīja, runādami: “Lai viņu rokas gurst darbā, lai neko nepaveic!” – “Bet tu stiprini manas rokas!”
10 Pēc tam es iegāju Šemajas, Dlājas dēla, Mehētabēla dēla dēla namā. Viņš bija ieslēdzies un sacīja:
“Tiksimies Dieva namā,
tempļa vidū!
Aizslēgsim tempļa durvis,
jo viņi nāks tevi nokaut,
naktī nāks tevi nokaut!”
11 Bet es teicu: “Vai tāds vīrs kā es lai bēgtu? Vai tādam kā man jāiet dzīvot templī? Nē, es neiešu!” 12 Es sapratu, redzi, Dievs viņu nav sūtījis! Jo viņš pravietoja pret mani, tādēļ ka Tobīja un Sanballats viņu bija nolīguši. 13 Viņš bija nolīgts tādēļ, lai es bailēs tā darītu un grēkotu, tad tie varētu teikt ļaunus vārdus un mani apsmiet.
14 “Atceries, mans Dievs, Tobījas un Sanballata darbus un arī pravieti Noadju un pārējos praviešus, kuri gribēja mani iebaidīt!”
Mūris ir atjaunots
15 Tā mūris tika pabeigts elūla mēneša divdesmit piektajā dienā, piecdesmit divās dienās. 16 Kad to uzzināja visi mūsu ienaidnieki, visas tautas, kas mums apkārt, tie izbijās un pilnīgi zaudēja drosmi, jo atzina, ka šis darbs ir padarīts ar mūsu Dieva palīdzību. 17 Tolaik daudzi jūdu dižciltīgie sūtīja vēstules Tobījam, bet Tobīja sūtīja tiem, 18 jo daudzi jūdi viņam bija zvērējuši uzticību, tādēļ ka viņš bija Šehanjas, Āraha dēla, znots, un viņa dēls Jehohānāns bija ņēmis par sievu Mešullāma, Berehjas dēla, meitu. 19 Tie man stāstīja par viņu labu, bet manis teikto atstāstīja viņam. Tobīja sūtīja vēstules, lai mani iebiedētu.
