厄斯德拉下:Chapter 6

厄斯德拉下:Chapter 6

厄斯德拉下	Nehemiah
¹當桑巴拉特、托彼雅、阿剌伯人革笙和我們其他的仇敵，一聽說我重修了城牆，已沒有破口的地方，── 雖然到那時，我還沒有在門上按裝門扇，──	¹When it had been reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and our other enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and that there was no breach left in it (though up to that time I had not yet set up the doors in the gates),
²桑巴拉特和革笙，便派人到我這裏說：「請來，我們在敖諾平原的一個村鎮中會晤。」其實他們是企圖謀害我。	²Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us hold council together at Caphirim in the plain of Ono." They were planning to do me harm.
³我遂派使者去答覆他們說：「我作的工程浩大，不能前去。我怎能離開工作，到你們那裏去，而使工程停頓呢？」	³However, I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am engaged in a great enterprise and am unable to come down; why should the work stop, while I leave it to come down to you?"
⁴他們如此連續四次，遣使者到我這裏，我也同樣答覆了他們。	⁴Four times they sent me this same proposal, and each time I gave the same reply.
⁵隨後，桑巴拉特第五次，又同樣打發他的臣僕來，手中拿着一封未封的信，	⁵Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent me the same message by one of his servants, who bore an unsealed letter
⁶信上寫着說：「在各民族中傳說，而且革笙也證實此說：你和猶太人圖謀造反，為此你纔重修城牆；據說你還要為王。	⁶containing this text: "Among the nations it has been reported--Geshem is witness to this--that you and the Jews are planning a rebellion; that for this reason you are rebuilding the wall; and that you are to be their king"--and so on.
⁷並且你派定了先知，在耶路撒冷為你宣傳說：猶大有了王！現今這些話勢必傳到君王那裏，所以請你來，我們互相商議商議。」	⁷"Also, that you have set up prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim you king of Judah. Now, since matters like these must reach the ear of the king, come, let us hold council together."
⁸我遂遣使者向他說：「決沒有像你所說的那些事，是你心中虛構的。」	⁸I sent him this answer: "Nothing of what you report has taken place; rather, it is the invention of your own mind."
⁹其實，他們是企圖恐嚇我們，心想：「如此他們必放棄那工程，不再工作下去。」但我的力量更堅強了。	⁹They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will slacken in the work, and it will never be completed." But instead, I now redoubled my efforts.
¹⁰有一天，我來到默塔貝耳的孫子，德拉雅的兒子舍瑪雅的家裏，他正閉門在家，對我說：「我們上天主的殿，到聖所裏去會晤，關好聖所的門戶，因為他們要來殺你，且今夜要來殺你。」	¹⁰I went to the house of Shemaiah, son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was unable to go about, and he said: "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple building; let us lock the doors of the temple. For men are coming to kill you; by night they are coming to kill you."
¹¹我答說：「像我這樣的人，能逃避到聖所中，保全生命嗎？我決不進去！」	¹¹My answer was: "A man like me take flight? Can a man like me enter the temple to save his life? I will not go!"
¹²我覺察出來，不是天主打發他向我講這預言，而是托彼雅和桑巴拉特賄賂了他，	¹²For on consideration it was plain to me that God had not sent him; rather, because Tobiah and Sanballat had bribed him, he voiced this prophecy concerning me
¹³要他恐嚇我，使我那樣去作犯罪的事，如此給他們留下一種壞名譽，好藉以辱罵我。	¹³that I might act on it out of fear and commit this sin. Then they would have had a shameful story with which to discredit me.
¹⁴我的天主！請你按照托彼雅和桑巴拉特之所行，記憶他們！也不要忘卻諾阿狄雅女先知和其餘的先知，因為他們企圖使我恐懼。	¹⁴Keep in mind Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of these things they did; keep in mind as well Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were trying to frighten me.
¹⁵「厄路耳」月二十五日，城垣完成，共計為時五十二日。	¹⁵ The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul; it had taken fifty-two days.
¹⁶我們所有的仇敵一聽說這事，我們四周的人民一看見這事，都十分驚異，並承認這工程，是賴我們的天主而完成的。	¹⁶When all our enemies had heard of this, and all the nations round about had taken note of it, our enemies lost much face in the eyes of the nations, for they knew that it was with our God's help that this work had been completed.
¹⁷在此期間，猶大有些有權勢的人，給托彼雅寄了許多函件，托彼雅也有覆函寄回。	¹⁷ At that same time, however, many letters were going to Tobiah from the nobles of Judah, and Tobiah's letters were reaching them,
¹⁸因為猶大有許多人，與他宣誓為盟，因他原是阿辣黑的兒子，舍加尼雅的女婿，他的兒子約哈南，又娶了貝勒革雅的兒子默叔藍的女兒為妻。	¹⁸for many in Judah were in league with him, since he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah, son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam, son of Berechiah.
¹⁹他們常在我面前稱道他的善行，也將我的事向他報告，托彼雅遂來信恐嚇我。	¹⁹Thus they would praise his good deeds in my presence and relate to him whatever I said; and Tobiah sent letters trying to frighten me.