¹Zvino Sanibharati, naTobhia, naGeshemu muArabhia, navamwe vavengi vedu vakati vaudzwa kuti ndavaka rusvingo, uye kuti takanga tisinokusiya pakakoromoka; (kunyange kusvikira panguva iyo ndakanga ndichigere kutimika magonhi pamasuwo;)

¹And it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobijah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates),

²Sanibharati naGeshemu ndokutuma shoko kwandiri, vachiti, Uyai, tisangane panomumwe musha pabani reOno. Asi vakanga vachida kundiitira zvakaipa.

²that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, Come, let us meet together in the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.

³Ini ndikatuma nhume kwavari, ndichiti, Ndinobata basa guru, saka handigoni kuburuka; basa ringamirireiko, kana ndikarega ndichiburukira kwamuri?

³And I sent messengers to them, saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?

⁴Vakatumira kwandiri saizvozvo kana, ndikavapindurazve saizvozvo.

⁴And they sent to me four times after this sort; and I answered them in the same manner.

⁵Ipapo Sanibharati wakatumazve muranda wake kwandiri saizvozvo rwechishanu, akabata tsamba yakazaruka muruoko rwake;

⁵Then sent Sanballat his servant to me in this manner the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand,

⁶imomo makanga makanyorwa, muchiti, Zvinonzi pakati pendudzi, naGeshemu unodarowo, kuti iwe navaJudha munoda kumukira mambo; nemhaka iyo iwe unovaka rusvingo urwo, newe unoda kuva mambo wavo, ndiwo mashoko avo.

⁶in which was written: It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says [it, that] thou and the Jews think to rebel, for which cause thou buildest the wall, and according to these words thou wilt become their king.

⁷Uye, kuti iwe wakagadza vaporofita vanoparidza pamusoro pako paJerusaremu, vachiti, Pakati paJudha pana mambo. Naizvozvo zvino chiuya, tirangane tose.

⁷And thou hast also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning thee at Jerusalem saying, There is a king in Judah! And now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

⁸Ipapo ndakatuma shoko kwaari, ndikati, Hapaitwi zvinhu zvakadai zvaunotaura, asi wakangozvifunga hako mumoyo mako.

⁸And I sent to him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

⁹nekuti vose vakanga vachitsvaka kutityisa, vachiti, Maoko avo ngaashaiwe simba pabasa, kuti rirege kupedzwa. Asi zvino, Mwari simbisai maoko angu.

⁹For they all would have made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be slackened from the work, that it be not carried out. -- Now therefore strengthen my hands!

¹⁰Ipapo ndakaenda kumba kwaShemaya mwanakomana waDheraya, mwanakomana waMehetabheri, akanga azvipfigira, iye akati, Ngatisangane mumba maMwari, mukati metemberi, tipfige mikova yetemberi; nekuti vachauya kuzokuuraya; vachauya usiku kuzokuuraya.

¹⁰And I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabeel, who had shut himself up. And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they are coming to kill thee; even in the night are they coming to kill thee.

¹¹Ini ndakati, Munhu akaita seni ungatiza here? Ndianiko akaita seni angapinda mutemberi, kuti azviraramise? Handingapindi.

¹¹And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, could go into the temple, and live? I will not go in.

¹²Ndikaona kwazvo kuti Mwari akanga asina kumutuma; asi akandiporofitira izvozvo, nekuti akanga afufurwa naTobhia naSanibharati.

¹²And I perceived, and behold, God had not sent him; for he pronounced this prophecy against me; and Tobijah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³Akanga afufurwa nemhaka iyo, kuti nditye, ndiite saizvozvo, nditadze, kuti vawane chavangandichera nacho, vagondishora.

¹³Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have wherewith to spread an evil report, that they might reproach me.

¹⁴Rangarirai henyu, Mwari wangu, mabasa awa aTobhia naSanibharati, naNowadhia muporofitakadzi, navamwe vaporofita, vakaidza kundityisa.

¹⁴My God, remember Tobijah and Sanballat according to these their works, and also the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.

¹⁵Naizvozvo rusvingo rwakapera pazuva ramakumi maviri namashanu romwedzi weEruri, tavaka mazuva ana makumi mashanu namaviri.

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

¹⁶Zvino vavengi vedu vose vakati vachizvinzwa, vahedheni vose vakanga vakatipotoredza vakatya, vakaora moyo, nekuti vakaziva kuti basa iri rakaitwa naMwari wedu.

¹⁶And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard [of it], all the nations that were about us were afraid and were much cast down in their own eyes, and they perceived that this work was wrought by our God.

¹⁷Uye, namazuva iwayo vakuru vavaJudha vakatumawo tsamba zhinji kuna Tobhia, uye tsamba dzaTobhia dzakasvikawo kwavari.

¹⁷Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobijah, and those of Tobijah came to them.

¹⁸Nekuti vazhinji vaivapo paJudha vakanga vapika kwaari, nekuti waiva mukwambo waShekania mwanakomana waAra; mwanakomana wake Jehohanani akanga awana mukunda waMeshurami mwanakomana waBherekia.

¹⁸For there were many in Judah sworn to him; for he was a son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

¹⁹Vakarumbidzawo mabasa ake akanaka pamberi pangu, nokumuudza mashoko angu. Tobhia akatuma tsamba dzokundityisa.

¹⁹Also they spoke of his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. [And] Tobijah sent letters to put me in fear.