Dem Plan Bad Against di Papa Work
Four invitations to meet for the plain of Ono, one fake letter about rebellion, one prophet wey dem hire to tell am make e hide for temple — Nehemiah refuse all and continue to build. The wall finish for fifty-two days, and the nations lose heart, because dem see our Papa hand for am.
6 1Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem di Arab man, and di oda enemy wey we get hear say I don build di wall finish, no gap remain—even doh I never fix di doors for di gates. 2Sanballat and Geshem send word come: "Make you come, make we meet for one of di villages for Ono plain"—but na harm dem plan to do me.
3So I send messengers go back: "I dey do one big work and I no fit come down. Wetin make di work go stop, wey I go leave am come down meet una?"
4Four times dem send me di same message, and every time I give dem di same answer. 5Sanballat send im servant come meet me di same way for di fifth time, wit open letter for im hand. 6Di letter read: Word dey go round di nations—Geshem too dey talk am—say you and di Jews dey plan to rise up; na why you dey build di wall, and say you wan become dem king, na so dis reports dey talk.
7You even appoint prophets to announce about you for Jerusalem sey, 'One king dey Judah!' Now dis go reach di king ear. So make you come, make we talk am over.
8I reply am: Nothing wey you dey talk happen—na from your own mind you dey invent am. 9All of dem dey try to make us fear, dem dey talk sey, "Dem hand go weak for di work, and e no go finish." But now, my Papa, make you strong my hand.
10I go di house of Shemaiah pikin of Delaiah, wey be pikin of Mehetabel, wey dem lock inside. E talk sey, "Make we meet for di house of God, inside di temple, and lock di temple doors—dem dey come kill you, dem dey come for night to kill you."
11But I sey, "Person like me suppose run comot? Person like me suppose enter di temple just to save im life? I no go enter." 12I come realize sey no be our Papa send am—na against me e talk dis prophecy because Tobiah and Sanballat pay am. 13Dem pay am make e put fear for my belle make I sin, so dem fit spoil my name and put shame for me. 14Remember, my Papa, Tobiah and Sanballat for dis tin wey dem do, and also Noadiah di woman prophet and di rest of di prophets wey try to make me fear.
Di Papa Complete di Wall
15So di wall complete for di twenty-fifth day of Elul, for fifty-two days. a a v15 Elul na di sixth month of di Hebrew calendar, wey dey fall for late summer (around August–September). 16When all our enemies hear, and all di nations wey surround us see am, dem body shake well-well for dem own eyes, because dem know sey na our Papa do dis work. 17For those days too, di big men of Judah send plenty letters go Tobiah, and Tobiah own letters dey come back to dem. 18Plenty people for Judah don bind demselves to am wit oath, because e be di son-in-law of Shecaniah pikin of Arah, and im pikin Jehohanan don marry di daughter of Meshullam pikin of Berekiah. 19Dem still dey tell me di good tins wey e dey do, and dem dey carry my words go give am. Tobiah dey send letters to make me fear.
