Neemias 6

1Sucedeu, pois, que, quando Sambalate, Tobias, e Gesém o árabe, e os demais de nossos inimigos, ouviram que eu tinha edificado o muro, e que não havia mais brecha nele (ainda que até aquele tempo não tinha posto as portas nas entradas), 2Sambalate e Gesém mandaram dizer: Vem, e nos reunamos em alguma das aldeias no vale de Ono. Mas eles haviam pensado em fazer o mal a mim. 3E enviei-lhes mensageiros, dizendo: Eu faço uma grande obra, por isso não posso descer; porque eu pararia a obra, para a deixar, e ir me encontrar convosco? 4E mandaram a mesma mensagem a mim quatro vezes, e eu lhes respondi da mesma maneira. 5Então Sambalate enviou a mim seu servo pela quinta vez, com uma carta aberta em sua mão, 6Em que estava escrito: Ouve-se falar entre as nações, e Gesém disse, que tu e os judeus pensais vos rebelar; e por isso tu edificas o muro, para que tu sejas o rei deles, conforme o que se diz. 7E que puseste profetas para proclamem de ti em Jerusalém, dizendo: Este é o rei em Judá! Assim o rei ouvirá conforme estas palavras. Vem, pois, agora, e nos reunamos. 8Porém eu mandei lhes dizer: Nada do que dizes aconteceu, mas sim és tu que inventas de tua própria mente. 9Porque todos eles procuravam nos atemorizar, dizendo: As mãos deles se enfraquecerão da obra, e ela não será feita.Esforça pois minhas mãos, ó Deus . 10E quando eu vim à casa de Semaías filho de Delaías, filho de Meetabel (que estava encerrado), ele me disse: Vamos juntos à casa de Deus dentro do templo, e cerremos as portas do templo, porque virão para te matar; sim, de noite virão para te matar. 11Porém eu disse: Um homem como eu fugiria? E poderia alguém como eu entrar no templo para preservar sua vida? De maneira nenhuma entrarei. 12E percebi, e vi que Deus não tinha o enviado, mas sim que ele falou aquela profecia contra mim, porque Tobias e Sambalate haviam lhe subornado. 13Para isto ele foi subornado, para me atemorizar, a fim de que assim eu fizesse, e pecasse; para que tivessem alguma coisa para falarem mal de mim. 14Lembra-te, meu Deus, de Tobias e de Sambalate, conforme estas suas obras, e também da profetiza Noadia, e dos outros profetas que procuravam me atemorizar. 15O muro foi terminado ao dia vinte e cinco do mês de Elul, em cinquenta e dois dias. 16E foi que, quando todos os nossos inimigos ouviram, todas as nações ao nosso redor temeram, e abateram-se muito em seus olhos, porque reconheceram que foi nosso Deus que fizera esta obra. 17Também naqueles dias muitas foram escritas de alguns dos nobres de Judá a Tobias, e as de Tobias vinham a eles. 18Porque muitos em Judá haviam feito juramento com ele, porque ele era genro de Secanias, filho de Ara; e seu filho Joanã havia tomado a filha de Mesulão, filho de Berequias. 19Também contavam diante de mim suas boas obras, e levavam a ele minhas palavras. E Tobias me enviava cartas para me atemorizar.

1Now 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 therein; (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates;) 2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to harm me. 3I 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?” 4They sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them the same way. 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me the same way the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, 6in 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. 7You have also appointed prophets to preach 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 us take counsel together.” 8Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.” 9For 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. 10I 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 us shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to kill you; yes, in the night will they come to kill you.” 11I said, “Should such a man as I flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” 12I discerned, and behold, God had not sent him; but he pronounced this prophecy against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He 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.” 15So the wall was finished in the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16When all our enemies heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was worked of our God. 17Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18For 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. 19Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

1Voorts is het geschied, als van Sanballat, en Tobia, en van Gesem, den Arabier, en van onze andere vijanden gehoord was, dat ik den muur gebouwd had, en dat geen scheur daarin was overgelaten; ook had ik tot dezen tijd toe de deuren niet opgezet in de poorten; 2Zo zond Sanballat, en Gesem, tot mij, om te zeggen: Kom en laat ons te zamen vergaderen in de dorpen, in het dal Ono. Maar zij dachten mij kwaad te doen. 3En ik zond boden tot hen, om te zeggen: Ik doe een groot werk, zodat ik niet zal kunnen afkomen; waarom zou dit werk ophouden, terwijl ik het zou nalaten, en tot ulieden afkomen? 4Zij zonden nu wel viermaal tot mij, op dezelfde wijze. En ik antwoordde hun op dezelfde wijze. 5Toen zond Sanballat tot mij op dezelfde wijze, ten vijfden male, zijn jongen, met een open brief in zijn hand. 6Daarin was geschreven: Het is onder de volken gehoord, en Gasmu zegt: Gij en de Joden denkt te rebelleren, daarom bouwt gij den muur, en gij zult hun ten koning zijn; naar dat deze zaken zijn. 7Dat gij ook profeten hebt besteld, om van u te Jeruzalem uit te roepen, zeggende: Hij is koning in Juda. Nu zal het van den koning gehoord worden, naar dat deze zaken zijn; kom dan nu, en laat ons te zamen raadslaan. 8Doch ik zond tot hem, om te zeggen: Er is van al zulke zaken, als gij zegt, niets geschied; maar gij versiert ze uit uw hart. 9Want zij allen zochten ons vreesachtig te maken, zeggende: Hun handen zullen van het werk aflaten, dat het niet zal gedaan worden; nu dan, sterk mijn handen! 10Als ik nu kwam in het huis van Semaja, den zoon van Delaja, den zoon van Mehetabeel (hij nu was besloten), zo zeide hij: Laat ons samenkomen in het huis Gods, in het midden des tempels, en laat ons de deuren des tempels toesluiten; want zij zullen komen om u te doden, ja, bij nacht zullen zij komen, om u te doden. 11Maar ik zeide: Zou een man, als ik, vlieden? En wie is er, zijnde als ik, die in den tempel zou gaan, dat hij levend bleve? Ik zal er niet ingaan. 12Want ik merkte, en ziet, God had hem niet gezonden; maar hij sprak deze profetie tegen mij, omdat Tobia en Sanballat hem gehuurd hadden. 13Daarom was hij gehuurd, opdat ik zou vrezen, en alzo doen, en zondigen; opdat zij iets zouden hebben tot een kwaden naam, opdat zij mij zouden honen. 14Gedenk, mijn God, aan Tobia en aan Sanballat, naar deze zijn werken; en ook aan de profetes Noadja, en aan de andere profeten, die mij gezocht hebben vreesachtig te maken. 15De muur nu werd volbracht, op den vijf en twintigsten van Elul, in twee en vijftig dagen. 16En het geschiedde, als al onze vijanden dit hoorden, zo vreesden al de heidenen, die rondom ons waren, en zij vervielen zeer in hun ogen; want zij merkten, dat dit werk van onzen God gedaan was. 17Ook schreven in die dagen edelen van Juda vele brieven, die naar Tobia gingen; en die van Tobia kwamen tot hen. 18Want velen in Juda hadden hem gezworen, omdat hij was een schoonzoon van Sechanja, den zoon van Arah; en zijn zoon Johanan had genomen de dochter van Mesullam, den zoon van Berechja. 19Ook verhaalden zij zijn goeddadigheden voor mijn aangezicht, en mijn woorden brachten zij uit tot hem. Tobia dan zond brieven, om mij vreesachtig te maken.