Nehemiah 6

1 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—

1 參巴拉、多比雅、阿拉伯人基善和我們其餘的仇敵聽見我已經修完了城牆，其中沒有破裂之處（那時我還沒有安門扇）的，

2 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.

2 參巴拉和基善就打發人來見我，說：「請你來，我們在阿挪平原的一個村莊相會。」他們卻想害我。

3 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?”

3 於是我差遣人去見他們，說：「我現在辦理大工，不能下去。焉能停工下去見你們呢？」

4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.

4 他們這樣四次打發人來見我，我都如此回答他們。

5 The fifth time, Sanballat sent me this same message by his young servant, who had in his hand an unsealed letter

5 參巴拉第五次打發僕人來見我，手裏拿着未封的信，

6 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,

6 信上寫着說：「外邦人中有風聲，迦施慕 也說，你和猶大人謀反，修造城牆，你要作他們的王；

7 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.”

7 你又派先知在耶路撒冷指着你宣講，說在猶大有王。現在這話必傳與王知；所以請你來，與我們彼此商議。」

8 Then I sent him this reply: “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.”

8 我就差遣人去見他，說：「你所說的這事，一概沒有，是你心裏捏造的。」

9 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.

9 他們都要使我們懼怕，意思說，他們的手必軟弱，以致工作不能成就。上帝啊，求你堅固我的手。

10 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!”

10 我到了米希大別的孫子、第來雅的兒子示瑪雅家裏；那時，他閉門不出。他說：「我們不如在上帝的殿裏會面，將殿門關鎖；因為他們要來殺你，就是夜裏來殺你。」

11 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!”

11 我說：「像我這樣的人豈要逃跑呢？像我這樣的人豈能進入殿裏保全生命呢？我不進去！」

12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

12 我看明上帝沒有差遣他，是他自己說這話攻擊我，是多比雅和參巴拉賄買了他。

13 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.

13 賄買他的緣故，是要叫我懼怕，依從他犯罪，他們好傳揚惡言毀謗我。

14 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.

14 我的上帝啊，多比雅、參巴拉、女先知挪亞底，和其餘的先知要叫我懼怕，求你記念他們所行的這些事。

15 So the wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth of Elul.

15 以祿月二十五日，城牆修完了，共修了五十二天。

16 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.

16 我們一切仇敵、四圍的外邦人聽見了便懼怕，愁眉不展；因為見這工作完成是出乎我們的上帝。

17 Also in those days, the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters kept coming to them.

17 在那些日子，猶大的貴冑屢次寄信與多比雅，多比雅也來信與他們。

18 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.

18 在猶大有許多人與多比雅結盟；因他是亞拉的兒子，示迦尼的女婿，並且他的兒子約哈難娶了比利迦兒子米書蘭的女兒為妻。

19 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.

19 他們常在我面前說多比雅的善行，也將我的話傳與他。多比雅又常寄信來，要叫我懼怕。