Nehemiah 6

¹ Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and the rest of our enemies hear say we don finish to dey build the wall and say gap no remain between am, although we still never set up the gate for the gateways.

² Naso Sanballat and Geshem send me message, dey suggest say make I meet them for one of the villages for the plain of Ono. Na their trick be this to harm me.

³ I send messengers make dem tell them say, “I dey do important work and I no fit go down there. I no go allow the work stop just to go and see una.”

⁴ Dem send me the same message four times, and I dey send them the same reply each time.

⁵ Then Sanballat send one of him servant to me with the fifth message, this one dey in form of letter wey dem no seal.

⁶ Na wetin dey there be this: “Geshem tell me say a rumor dey go round among neighboring people say you and Jewish people dey plan to rebel and na the reason why una dey build the wall. He also talk say you plan to make yourself king

⁷ And say you don arrange for some prophets to announce for Jerusalem say you be the king of Judah. Him Majesty go hear about this, so I suggest say make me and you meet to talk about the matter.”

⁸ I send him reply say: “Nothing be truth for wetin you dey talk. Na you cook the tori yourself.”

⁹ Dem dey try scare us to stop the work. I con pray, “God, make me strong now!”

¹⁰ Around this time, I go visit Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, wey no fit leave him house. He tell me say, “Make me and you go hide together for the Holy place for the Temple and lock the doors, because dem dey come kill you. Any night now, dem go come to kill you.”

¹¹ I answer say, “I no be that kind person wey go run and hide. Shey you think say I go try save my life to dey hide for the Temple? I no fit do am.”

¹² When I think say e don finish, I realize say God never speak to Shemaiah, but say Tobiah and Sanballat don bribe him make he give me this warning.

¹³ Dem hire him to scare me make I sin, so that dem fit spoil my good name and disgrace me.

¹⁴ I pray say, “God, remember wetin Tobiah and Sanballat don do and punish them. Remember that woman Noadiah and other prophets wey don try to scare me.”

¹⁵ The entire wall don finish on the 25th day of the month of Elu after 52 days of work.

¹⁶ When our enemies for the surrounding nations don hear this, dem realize say dem don lose, since everyone don know say the work don finish with the help of God.

¹⁷ The Jewish leaders don dey in agreement with Tobiah during all this time.

¹⁸ Plenty people for Judah dey for him side because of him father-in-law, Shecaniah son of Arah. In addition, him son Jehohanan don marry the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.

¹⁹ People dey talk for my front about all the good things wey Tobiah don do and dem go tell him everything wey I talk. And he continue dey send me letter to try scare me.