Nehemiah 4
1 Kaimih loh vongtung ka sak te Sanballat loh a yaak vaengah tah anih te sai. Te dongah Judah rhoek te muep a veet tih a tamdaeng.
When Sanballat found out that we were rebuilding the wall, he was furious—really mad! He made fun of the Jews
2 A manuca rhoek neh Samaria tatthai mikhmuh ah cal tih, “Yaikat la aka saii Judah rhoek baham nim? Amih loh a thoh tang aya? A nawn uh tang aya? Tihnin ah a khah tang aya? A hoeh tangtae laipi hlom lamkah lungto te hing aya?” a ti.
in front of his colleagues and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these useless Jews trying to achieve? Do they think they can rebuild the wall? Are they going to offer sacrifices? Are they going to finish it in a day? Do they think they can re-use stones from piles of rubble and dirt, especially since they've all been burned?”
3 A taengkah Ammoni Tobiah long khaw, “Amih kah a sak mai te, maetang loh pah koinih a lungto vongtung khaw tim ni,” a ti.
Tobiah the Ammonite, standing beside him, commented, “Even a fox walking on what they're building would knock down their wall of stones!”
4 Hnaephnapnah dongah ka om uh he kaimih kah Pathen loh ya van lamtah amih kah kokhahnah he amih lu dongah mael saeh. Amih te tamna khohmuen ah kutbuem la pae.
I prayed, “Lord, please listen to us, because we are being treated with contempt. Rain down their insults on their own heads! Let them be taken away like plunder, prisoners in a foreign land!
5 Na im sa rhoek mikhmuh ah a veet dongah amih kathaesainah te hlipdah boel lamtah a tholhnah te na mikhmuh lamloh huih pah boeh.
Don't forgive their guilt or blot out their sins, for they have made you angry in front of the builders.”
6 Bibi saii ham tah pilnam kah lungbuei om dongah vongtung te ka sak uh tangloeng tih vongtung boeih te a rhakthuem duela a phaai uh coeng.
So we rebuilt the wall until it was all connected, reaching half its height, because the people were keen to work.
7 Jerusalem vongtung loh sading la a caeh te Sanballat, Tobiah, Arab, Ammoni neh Ashodi rhoek loh a yaak vaengah a mak tangtae te phae hamla a tong uh tih amih taengah muep sai.
When Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites, heard that the repair to the walls of Jerusalem was progressing and that the gaps were being filled in, they were furious.
8 Te dongah amih boeih te Jerusalem paan rhenten tih vathoh thil ham, a taengah rholrhaknah saii hamla a taeng uh.
They all plotted together to come and attack Jerusalem and to throw everything into confusion.
9 Tedae ka Pathen taengah ka thangthui uh tih amih mikhmuh ah amih ham khoyin khothaih rhaltawt ka pai sakuh.
So we prayed to our God, and we had guards ready to defend against them day and night.
10 Te vaengah Judah loh, “Hnophuei kah thadueng khaw bawt coeng tih laipi la yet coeng. Mamaih loh vongtung sak thil ham tah n'noeng moenih.
Then people of Judah started grumbling, saying, “The workmen are exhausted. There's just too much rubble to clear. We'll never be able to finish the wall.”
11 Mamih kah rhal rhoek long khaw, 'Amih lakli ah n'kun uh vetih amih n'gawn phoeiah bitat te m'paa sak hil he ming uh pawt vetih hmu uh mahpawh.
Our enemies were saying to themselves, “Before they know it, before they're aware of anything, we'll appear right in among them, kill them, and put a stop to what they're doing.”
12 Te vaengah amih taengkah khosa Judah rhoek te ha pawk uh tih kaimih te hmuen takuem ah voei rha hil, 'Me lamkah nim kaimih taengla na mael uh,’ a ti uh.
The Jews who lived close by came and told us over and over again, “They're going to attack us from all directions!”
13 Te dongah a laedil ah khaw, vongtung hael kah hmuen ah khaw, a tlaai ah khaw ka pai. Te vaengah pilnam te a cako ah, a cunghang neh, cai neh, lii neh ka pai sak.
So I positioned defenders behind the lowest, most vulnerable sections, of the wall. I had them take their positions by families, armed with their swords, spears, and bows.
14 Ka hmuh vaengah ka pai tih hlangcoelh rhoek taengah khaw, ukkung rhoek taengah khaw, pilnam hlangrhuel taengah khaw, “Amih mikhmuh ah rhih uh boeh, ka Boeipa tah len tih a rhih om te poek uh. Na manuca, na capa rhoek, na canu, na yuu rhoek neh na imkhui ham vathoh uh,” ka ti nah.
After inspecting our defenses, I stood up and addressed the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, saying, “Don't be afraid of them! Remember the Lord, who is powerful and formidable! Fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes!”
15 Pathen loh amih kah cilsuep a phae pah tih kaimih taengah m'ming sak te kaimih kah thunkha rhoek loh a yaak uh. Te daengah kaimih boeih ka mael uh tih hlang loh amah bitat ham vongtung te ka paan uh.
When our enemies discovered that we knew about their plan, and that God had foiled it, we all went back to our work on the wall.
16 Te khohnin lamlong tah kai ca rhoek te rhakthuem loh bitat a saii vaengah a rhakthuem loh cai neh, photling neh, lii neh, caempho neh pumcum uh tih mangpa rhoek khaw Judah imkhui pum kah a hnuk ah paiuh.
From then on, half of my men were doing the work while the other half were ready to fight, holding their spears, shields, bows, and armor. The leaders stood behind all the people of Judah
17 Vongtung aka sa khaw, hnorhih aka puen tih aka tloeng khaw, a kut pakhat neh bitat a saii tih khat dongah pumcumnah a muk.
who were building the wall. Those carrying materials worked with one hand, holding a weapon in the other.
18 Te vaengah vongtung aka sa hlang loh a cunghang te a cinghen ah a vah tih a sak. Ka taengkah rhoek loh tuki te a ueng uh.
All the builders carried a sword strapped to their side, and the trumpeter stood beside me.
19 Te phoeiah hlangcoelh rhoek taengah khaw, ukkung rhoek taengah khaw, pilnam boeih taengah khaw, “Bitat he vung tih puh. Te dongah mamih loh vongtung he hlang khat a manuca taeng lamloh lakhla la yaal sih.
Then I told the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “We have a lot to do everywhere, so we're very spread out along the wall.
20 Tuki ol na yaak nah hmuen ah tah kaimih taengla pahoi tingtun uh. Mamih kah Pathen loh mamih ham a vathoh bitni,” ka ti nah.
Wherever you are and you hear the sound of the trumpet, run to join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
21 Te dongah bitat ka saii uh vaengah a rhakthuem loh mincang a thoeng paek lamloh aisi a thoeng hil cai ka muk thil uh.
We went on working, with half of the men holding spears from dawn until the stars came out.
22 Te vaeng tue ah khaw pilnam hlang neh a ca rhoek te, “Jerusalem khui ah rhaeh uh mai. Te daengah ni mamih ham khoyin kah rhaltawt neh khothaih kah bitat dongah a om uh eh,” ka ti nah.
I also told the people, “Everyone including servants must spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can be on guard duty at night and work during the day.”
23 Kai bueng pawt tih ka manuca rhoek khaw, ka ca rhoek neh rhaltawt hlang khaw, ka hnuk kah rhoek khaw, hlang loh ka himbai neh a pumcumnah ka dul tih tui muei ka hmu uh pawh.
During that time none of us changed our clothes—not me or my brothers or my men or the guards with me. Everyone carried their weapons at all times, even to go for water.
