Neemias 6

1 Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, 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 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, "Come! Let’s meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono." But they intended to harm me.

3 I sent messengers to them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?"

4 They sent to me four times like this; and I answered them the same way. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, 6 in which was written, "It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. Because of that, you are building the wall. You would be their king, according to these words. 7 You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together."

8 Then I sent to him, saying, "There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart." 9 For they all would have made us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened from the work, that it not be done." But now, strengthen my hands.

10 I went to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home; and he said, "Let us meet together in God’s house, within the temple, and let’s shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you. Yes, in the night they will come to kill you."

11 I said, "Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in." 12 I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him, but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired so that I would be afraid, do so, and sin, and that they might have material for an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 "Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear."

15 So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they lost their confidence; for they perceived that this work was done by our God. 17 Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 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 as wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

He Whakangārahu ki a Nehemia

1 Ā, nō te rongonga o Hanaparata, o Tōpia, o Keheme Ārapi, o ērā atu o ō mātou hoariri, kua hangā e ahau te taiepa, kāhore hoki he wāhi pakaru i mahue (kāhore anō ia kia oti noa i ahau ngā tatau te whakatū ki ngā kūwaha), 2 nā, ka unga tāngata mai a Hanaparata rāua ko Keheme ki ahau, ka mea, "Haere mai, tātou ka rūnanga ki tētahi o ngā pā ririki i te mānia i Ono."

Otiia i whakaaro rāua ki te mahi kino ki ahau. 3 Nā, ka unga tāngata ahau ki a rāua hei kī atu, "He nui te mahi e mahi nei ahau; e kore e āhei kia heke atu. Kia whakamutua hei aha te mahi? Ko whakarērea nei hoki e ahau, ki te heke atu ahau ki a kōrua." 4 Nā, e whā ā rāua tononga tāngata mai ki ahau, ko taua tikanga anō, heoi whakahokia ana e ahau ko aua kupu rā anō.

5 Kātahi a Hanaparata ka unga mai i tāna tangata ki ahau, ko te rima o ngā ngarenga mai, ko taua tikanga anō, he pukapuka tuwhera i tōna ringa. 6 Ko te mea tēnei i tuhituhia ki reira:

"Kua pakū te rongo ki ngā tauiwi – e kī ana anō hoki a Kahamu – tēnei koutou ko ngā Hūrai te mea nei kia whakakeke; koia i hangā ai e koe te taiepa; ā, e mea ana koe ko koe hei kīngi mō rātou; ko tā ngā kōrero hoki tēnei. 7 Kua whakatūria anō e koe ētahi poropiti hei karanga mōu ki Hiruhārama, hei kī, ‘Kua whai kīngi a Hūrā!’ Nā, ka whakaaturia ēnei kupu ki te kīngi. Heoi, haere mai, kia kōrerorero tāua."

8 Kātahi ahau ka unga tāngata ki a ia, hei kī atu, "Ehara kau ēnei mea e kōrero nei koe; he mea tito noa hoki nā tōu ngākau ake."

9 Ko tā rātou katoa hoki, he whakawehi i a mātou, i mea rātou, "Tērā ō rātou ringa e whakawarea ki te mahi, e kore ai e mahia."

Tēnā, e te Atua, whakakahangia ōku ringa.

10 Kātahi ahau ka haere ki te whare o Hemaia tama a Teraia tama a Mehetapēre, he mea tūtaki hoki ia ki roto; ā, ka mea ia, "Me rūnanga tātou ki te whare o te Atua, ki roto ki te temepara, me tūtaki hoki e tātou ngā tatau o te temepara; tērā hoki rātou e haere mai ki te patu i a koe; inā, ko ā te pō rātou haere mai ai ki te patu i a koe."

11 Nā, ka mea ahau, "Me oma rānei te tangata pēnei i ahau nei? Ko wai te tangata o tōku rite e haere ki roto ki te temepara kia ora ai? E kore ahau e haere ki roto!"

12 Nā, ka mahara ahau ehara ia i te mea ungā mai nā te Atua; heoi hei hē mōku tāna kupu i poropiti ai. He mea utu hoki ia nā Tōpia rāua ko Hanaparata. 13 I utua ai ia, kia wehi ai ahau, kia mahi pērā, ā, ka hara; kia whai mea ai rātou hei whakaingoa kino, hei tāwai mā rātou ki ahau.

14 Kia mahara, e tōku Atua, ki a Tōpia rāua ko Hanaparata, ki ēnei mahi a rāua, ki a Noaria poropiti wahine, ki ērā atu anō o ngā poropiti i mea nei ki te whakawehi i ahau.

Te Tutukitanga o te Mahi

15 Heoi, kua oti te taiepa i te rua tekau mā rima o ngā rā o te marama o Eruru; e rima tekau mā rua ngā rā. 16 Ā, i te rongonga o ō mātou hoariri katoa, i taua mea, ka wehi ngā tauiwi katoa i tētahi taha o mātou, i tētahi taha, ā, ko te tino hokinga iho o ō rātou whakaaro; i kite hoki rātou he mea mahi tēnei mahi e tō mātou Atua.

17 He tini anō ngā pukapuka a ngā rangatira o Hūrā i aua rā i tae ki a Tōpia, me a Tōpia hoki i tae ki a rātou. 18 He tokomaha hoki o Hūrā i oati ki a ia, he hunaonga hoki ia nā Hekania tama a Araha; i tango anō tāna tama a Iehohanana i te tamāhine a Mehūrāma tama a Perekia hei wahine. 19 I kōrerotia anō e rātou āna mahi pai ki tōku aroaro; i kawea anō e rātou āku kupu ki a ia. Heoi, tukua mai ana e Tōpia ētahi pukapuka hei whakawehi i ahau.