< Nehemia 6 >

1 Sanbalat, Tobia, Gesyem dan musuh-musuh kami yang lain mendengar bahwa kami selesai memperbaiki tembok, dan bahwa semua lubangnya sudah ditutup, meskipun pada waktu itu kami belum memasang daun-daun pintu pada pintu-pintu gerbang kota.
Now it came to pass, when it was reported to Sanballat and Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it, (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),
2 Maka Sanbalat dan Gesyem mengirim undangan kepadaku supaya datang mengadakan pertemuan dengan mereka di salah satu desa di Lembah Ono. Tetapi aku tahu bahwa mereka mau mencelakakan aku.
that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3 Sebab itu kukirim jawaban ini kepada mereka, "Aku tak bisa datang karena sedang melakukan pekerjaan penting. Pekerjaan itu akan macet kalau kutinggalkan untuk bertemu dengan kalian."
And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it, and come down to you?
4 Sampai empat kali mereka mengirim undangan yang sama kepadaku, dan setiap kali pula kuberikan jawaban yang sama.
And they sent to me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner.
5 Pada kali yang kelima seorang anak buah Sanbalat datang dan memberikan surat terbuka
Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand
6 yang isinya demikian: "Gesyem membenarkan adanya desas-desus di kalangan bangsa-bangsa di sekitar sini, yang mengatakan bahwa Saudara dan semua orang Yahudi merencanakan pemberontakan, dan itu sebabnya Saudara memperbaiki tembok kota. Ia mengatakan juga bahwa Saudara hendak mengangkat diri menjadi raja Yehuda,
in which was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou are building the wall. And thou would be their king according to these words.
7 dan telah menunjuk beberapa nabi untuk menobatkan Saudara di Yerusalem. Desas-desus itu pasti akan sampai kepada raja. Sebab itu, datanglah untuk merundingkan hal itu."
And thou have also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah. And now it shall be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8 Tetapi aku mengirimkan jawaban ini, "Semua yang Saudara katakan itu omong kosong dan isapan jempol Saudara sendiri."
Then I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou say, but thou imagine them out of thine own heart.
9 Mereka mencoba menakut-nakuti kami supaya kami menghentikan pekerjaan itu. Aku berdoa, "Ya Allah, kuatkanlah aku!"
For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work that it not be done. But now, O God, strengthen thou my hands.
10 Sekitar waktu itu juga, aku pergi ke rumah Semaya anak Delaya dan cucu Mehetabeel, karena ia berhalangan datang kepadaku. Katanya kepadaku, "Mari kita berdua pergi bersembunyi di Rumah Tuhan. Kita kunci semua pintunya, sebab ada orang yang mau membunuh engkau. Barangkali malam ini engkau akan dibunuh."
And I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut up, and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple. For they will come to kill thee, yea, they will come to kill thee in the night.
11 Tetapi aku menjawab, "Aku ini bukan orang yang suka melarikan diri. Sebagai orang awam aku tak boleh memasuki Rumah Tuhan, nanti aku mati. Tidak, aku tidak mau!"
And I said, Should such a man as I flee? And who is there, that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.
12 Setelah kutimbang-timbang hal itu, sadarlah aku bahwa ajakan Semaya itu bukan dari Allah, melainkan dari Tobia dan Sanbalat. Mereka telah menyuap Semaya untuk menyampaikan nubuat itu kepadaku.
And I discerned, and, lo, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me, and Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Maksud mereka ialah supaya aku takut dan menuruti saran mereka sehingga berbuat dosa. Dengan demikian mereka mendapat kesempatan menjelekkan namaku sehingga aku menjadi buah bibir orang.
For this cause he was hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
14 Aku berdoa, "Ya Allah, ingatlah apa yang dilakukan oleh Tobia dan Sanbalat itu. Hukumlah mereka! Begitu juga nabiah yang bernama Noaja dan nabi-nabi lain yang mau menakut-nakuti aku."
Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, who would have put me in fear.
15 Perbaikan tembok itu makan waktu 52 hari, dan selesai pada tanggal dua puluh lima bulan Elul.
So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 Ketika musuh-musuh kami di antara bangsa-bangsa di sekitar situ mendengar hal itu, mereka takut kehilangan muka, sebab semua orang tahu bahwa pekerjaan itu dilakukan dengan pertolongan Allah.
And it came to pass, when all our enemies heard of it, that all the nations that were around us feared, and were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
17 Sementara itu para pemimpin Yahudi masih juga mengadakan surat-menyurat dengan Tobia.
Moreover in those days the ranking men of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them.
18 Banyak orang Yahudi berteman dengan Tobia, karena ia menantu Sekhanya anak Arah. Lagipula Yohanan, anak Tobia, kawin dengan anak perempuan Mesulam anak Berekhya.
For there were many in Judah sworn to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah to wife.
19 Meskipun Tobia terus-menerus menulis surat kepadaku untuk menakut-nakuti aku, namun para pemimpin Yahudi itu menyebut-nyebut di depanku segala kebaikan Tobia. Selain itu semua yang kukatakan, mereka laporkan kepadanya.
Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

< Nehemia 6 >