Nehemías 6

EL LIBRO DEL PUEBLO DE DIOS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Cuando Sambalat, Tobías, Guésem, el árabe, y los demás enemigos nuestros supieron que yo había reconstruido las murallas y que no quedaba en ellas ninguna brecha –aunque hasta entonces no había colocado las hojas de las puertas–	1 Now it happened that, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem, an Arab, and our other enemies, had heard that I had built the wall, and that there was no interruption remaining in it, (even though, at that time, I had not set up the double doors at the gates,)
2 Sambalat y Guésem mandaron a decirme: «Ven a entrevistarte con nosotros en Quefirím, en el valle de Onó». Pero, en realidad, lo que se proponían era hacerme el mal.	2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying: “Come, and let us strike a pact together in the villages, on the plain of Ono.” But they were thinking that they would do me harm.
3 Entonces les envié unos mensajeros para decirles: «Tengo muchísimo trabajo, y no puedo bajar. ¿Por qué va a suspenderse la obra mientras yo la abandono por bajar a verlos?».	3 Therefore, I sent messengers to them, saying: “I am doing a great work, and I cannot descend, lest perhaps it may be neglected when I go out and descend to you.”
4 Cuatro veces me hicieron la misma invitación, y siempre les di la misma respuesta.	4 Then they sent to me, with this same word, four times. And I responded to them with the same word as before.
5 Por quinta vez, Sambalat me mandó a decir lo mismo por medio de su servidor, que traía en la mano una carta abierta.	5 And Sanballat sent his servant to me a fifth time, with the former word, and he had a letter in his hand written in this manner:
6 En ella estaba escrito: «Se oye decir entre la gente –y lo confirma Gasmú– que tú y los judíos piensan sublevarse, y por eso reconstruyes las murallas. Según esos rumores, tú vas a ser su rey,	6 “It has been heard among the Gentiles, and Geshem has said it, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel, and because of this, you are building the wall and thinking to raise yourself as a king over them. For this reason,
7 e incluso has establecido profetas para que proclamen en Jerusalén, refiriéndose a ti: «¡Hay un rey en Judá!». Y ahora el rey va a ser informado de todo esto. Ven, entonces, y pongámonos de acuerdo».	7 you also have stationed prophets, who preach about you in Jerusalem, saying: ‘There is a king in Judea!’ But the king will hear about these words. Therefore, come now, so that we may go to counsel together.”
8 Yo le mandé a decir: «No ha sucedido nada de lo que tú dices, sino que son puras invenciones tuyas».	8 And I sent to them, saying: “There has been nothing done according to these words, which you have spoken. For you are inventing these things from your own heart.”
9 En realidad, lo que ellos querían eran intimidarnos, pensando: «Sus manos se cansarán de trabajar, y la obra no se realizará». ¡Y ahora, Señor, fortalece mis manos!	9 For all these men wished to frighten us, thinking that our hands would cease from the work, and that we would cease. For this reason, I strengthened my hands all the more.
10 Entonces fui a la casa de Semaías, hijo de Delaías, hijo de Mehetabel, que se hallaba impedido, y él dijo: «Encontrémonos en la Casa de Dios, en el interior del Templo, y cerremos sus puertas; porque van a venir a matarte y esta es la noche en que vendrán a hacerlo».	10 And I entered into the house of Shemaiah, the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, in secret. And he said: “Let us consult together in the house of God, in the midst of the temple. And let us close the doors of the temple. For they will come to kill you, and they will arrive in the night to put you to death.”
11 Yo repliqué: «¿Va a huir un hombre como yo? ¿Y qué hombre de mi condición podría entrar en el Templo y permanecer con vida? ¡No entraré!».	11 And I said: “How could anyone like me flee? And who like me should enter the temple, so that he may live? I will not enter.”
12 Yo había reconocido, en efecto, que no era Dios el que lo había enviado: si había pronunciado esa profecía acerca de mí, era porque lo había enviado Tobías.	12 And I understood that God had not sent him, but he had spoken to me as if he were prophesying, and that Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 Lo habían sobornado para que yo me dejara intimidar y, obrando de esa manera, cometiera un pecado. Así me habrían infamado, para cubrirme de oprobio.	13 For he had accepted money, so that I would be afraid, and would sin, and so that they would have some evil with which to rebuke me.
14 Acuérdate, Dios mío, de Tobías, por lo que hizo, y también de Noadías, la profetisa, y de todos los demás profetas que trataban de intimidarme.	14 Remember me, O Lord, because of Tobiah and Sanballat, because of their works of this kind. Then, too, Noadiah, a prophetess, and the rest of the prophets, would have made me afraid.
15 Las murallas quedaron terminadas el día veinticinco de Elul, al cabo de cincuenta y dos días.	15 Now the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty-two days.
16 Cuando todos nuestros enemigos se enteraron, todas las naciones vecinas quedaron vivamente impresionadas; se sintieron muy humilladas a sus propios ojos y reconocieron que el trabajo había sido ejecutado gracias a nuestro Dios.	16 Then it happened that, when all our enemies had heard of it, all the nations that were around us were afraid, and they were downcast within themselves. For they knew that this work had been accomplished by God.
17 Aun en aquellos días, algunos notables de Judá se carteaban frecuentemente con Tobías,	17 But also, in those days, many letters were being sent by the nobles of the Jews to Tobiah, and were arriving from Tobiah to them.
18 porque estaban ligados a él por un juramento, ya que era yerno de Secanías, hijo de Ará, y su hijo Iojanán se había casado con la hija de Mesulam, hijo de Berequías.	18 For there were many in Judea who had sworn an oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, the son of Arah, and because Jehohanan, his son, had married the daughter of Meshullam, the son of Berechiah.
19 Ellos hablaban bien de él en mi presencia y le transmitían mis palabras. Tobías, por su parte, enviaba cartas para intimidarme.	19 Moreover, they praised him before me, and they reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters, so that he might make me afraid.