< Nehemia 6 >

1 Ary rehefa ren’ i Sanbala sy Tobia sy Gasema Arabo mbamin’ ny namany fahavalonay fa efa nanao ny manda aho, ka tsy nisy banga intsony teo (kanefa tamin’ izany andro izany tsy mbola voalatsako ny lela-vavahady),
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 dia naniraka ho any amiko Sanbala sy Gasema ka nanao hoe: Avia isika hihaona ao amin’ izay vohitra anankiray amin’ ny tany lemak’ i Ono. Kanjo nikasa hanisy ratsy ahy izy roa lahy.
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 Dia naniraka olona hankany aminy kosa aho hanao hoe: Asa lehibe no ataoko, ka tsy afa-midìna aho; nahoana no hilaozako midìna any aminareo ny asa ka hatsahatra?
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 Kanefa mbola naniraka tamiko inefatra araka izany ihany izy; ary izaho kosa dia mbola namaly azy toy izany ihany koa.
Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
5 Dia nirahin’ i Sanbala fanindiminy ny zatovony hankeo amiko araka izany ihany, nitondra taratasy nivelatra teny an-tànany,
The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter
6 izay nisy soratra hoe: Efa mahoraka any amin’ ny firenena maro izao teny izao, sady lazain’ i Gasema hoe: Hianao sy ny Jiosy dia mikasa hikomy, ka izany no anaovanao ny manda, ary araka izany teny izany dia mikasa ho mpanjakany, hono, ianao,
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 sady efa nanendry ny mpaminany maro hilaza anao any Jerosalema hoe Mpanjaka any Joda; ary ankehitriny dia ho ren’ ny mpanjaka izany teny izany; koa avia isika hiara-mihevitra.
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 Dia naniraka ho any aminy aho hanao hoe: Tsy marina izany zavatra lazainao izany, fa tao am-ponao ihany no namoronanao izany.
Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”
9 Fa ta-hampahatahotra anay izy rehetra, ka hoy izy: Ho kivy amin’ ny asa izy ka tsy hahatontosa. Koa ankehitriny ampaherezo e ny tanako!
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 Ary izaho dia tonga tao an-tranon’ i Semaia, zanak’ i Delaia, zanak’ i Mehetabela, izay nihidy trano tao; dia hoy izy: Andeha isika hiditra ao an-tranon’ Andriamanitra ao anatin’ ny tempoly, ary aoka harindrintsika ny varavarana, fa ho avy hamono anao izy, eny, ho avy alina hamono anao izy.
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 Fa hoy izaho: Moa ny lehilahy tahaka ahy tokony handositra va? Ary iza no olona tahaka ahy no mahazo miditra ao amin’ ny tempoly ka ho velona? Tsy hiditra ao aho.
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 Ary hitako fa, indro, tsy Andriamanitra no naniraka azy, fa nilaza izany faminaniana izany hamitahany ahy izy, satria notambazan’ i Tobia sy Sanbala.
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 Izany no nanambazany azy, mba hampitahotra ahy hanaovako izany ka hanotako, dia hahazoany teny tatsy hanaratsiany ahy.
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 Ry Andriamanitro ô, tsarovy Tobia sy Sanbala araka izany asany izany mbamin’ i Noadia mpaminanivavy sy ny mpaminany sasany koa, izay nampitahotra ahy.
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 Dia vita tamin’ ny roa amby dimam-poloandro ny manda, dia tamin’ ny andro faha-dimy amby roa-polo tamin’ ny volana Elola.
So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.
16 Ary rehefa ren’ ny fahavalonay rehetra izany, dia raiki-tahotra ny firenena rehetra manodidina anay, sady hitany fa tsinontsinona izy; ary fantany fa Andriamanitray no nahavitàna izany asa izany.
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 Ary tamin’ izany andro izany ny manan-kaja amin’ ny Joda dia nampitondra taratasy maro ho any amin’ i Tobia, ary ny avy tamin’ i Tobia kosa tonga tany aminy.
Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came back to them.
18 Fa nisy maro tany Joda efa nianiana niray tetika taminy, satria vinanton’ i Sekania, zanak’ i Ara, izy; ary Johanana zananilahy efa nanambady ny zanakavavin’ i Mesolama, zanak’ i 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 Ary nisy koa teo anatrehako nilaza ny soa nataony ary nilaza ny teniko tany aminy kosa. Ary Tobia kosa nampitondra taratasy hampitahotra ahy.
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.

< Nehemia 6 >